


Droplets

by thepudz



Series: Droplets [1]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Coffee Shops, Coming Out, Double Trouble is a queer icon, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Friendship, Gyms, Kissing, LGBTQ Themes, Lesbian Disaster Adora (She-Ra), Love Confessions, No Homophobia, Pride, Prom, Romance, Sleepovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:40:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 64,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26086615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepudz/pseuds/thepudz
Summary: It is the final year of high school for Adora, who is unsure about her future and what lies beyond graduation. On the first day of the year, she meets a new student in her class: Catra, who proceeds to turn Adora's life upside down as she comes to terms with her feelings, sexuality and life in general, along with meeting her new friends at the school's Pride Club.Slowly through this chaos, Adora and Catra form a bond like no other, but Adora worries about Catra's home life with her adoptive mother, Shadow Weaver, and why Catra seems to run away from home so often.As answers are revealed and paths are formed, Adora slowly discovers what love truly is, and grows more close to Catra than she ever could have imagined...
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Series: Droplets [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2060643
Comments: 193
Kudos: 521
Collections: catradoraperiod





	1. Eye Contact

**Author's Note:**

> A big thanks to those who rekindled my love for writing through my previous story, 'Trauma'. I adore writing CatrAdora so much, and I've always wanted to try out a High School AU. I hope you all enjoy this journey along with me and Adora. Thank you all so much for your support, I love each and every one of you!

The rain hitting the window of the school bus created droplets for Adora to watch. She loved the season of Fall.

Adora sat in a lone seat with her chin on her hand, looking out the window at the rushing cars, busy streets and opening stores as the bus took her to Bright Moon Academy. A three month break had gone by a tad too fast for Adora’s liking, but it didn’t bother her as much as some other people on this bus.

This was, after all, Adora’s final year in high school before the big decision of whether to go to university or not.

That was a decision Adora really didn’t want to make, at least not right now. There was still a whole year ahead of her to get through.

The rain slid down the clear window before Adora, and she watched droplets inch their way lower. Some droplets of rain collided with others to form even bigger droplets, but other droplets often simply destroyed themselves and ceased to exist. It was a fascinating race to watch for Adora. Which droplet would reach the bottom of the bus window first, and how many other droplets would they combine with to get there?

It was enough to distract Adora from her music momentarily, but her senses were interrupted when she suddenly heard a short tone ring in her ears. She glanced at the phone on her lap to see a text flash up on screen.

 **Bownarrow174:** Hope you’re not late for your first day again. Did you catch the bus this time?

“Dammit, Bow…” Adora scoffed, unlocking her phone and typing a quick reply.

 **Adorablyscary33:** That was ONE time back in Year 10, and I wasn’t even that late!

Adora saw that Bow had read her message, and just as quick as she had replied, so too did Bow come back with a message.

 **Bownarrow174:** Late enough to get every single person in the class staring at you… And no, I will not let that one go. It’s one of the few things I have over you to embarrass you.

Adora made a mental note to punish Bow when she saw him next as he typed out another message.

 **Bownarrow174:** You didn’t answer my question by the way, which is starting to worry Glimmer and I… 

**Adorablyscary33:** Yes, I’m on the bus and on my way to kick your ass if you don’t learn to respect your elders within the next few minutes.

 **Bownarrow174:** You’re older by 2 months.

 **Adorablyscary33:** 2 months is a lot of time to gain wisdom and enlightenment.

 **Bownarrow174:** Clearly not enough ‘wisdom’ to make it to class on time.

Adora felt her bus go over the usual speedbump that indicated she was at least close by to the school, and she smirked as she took off her headphones and grabbed her bag, typing one last message to Bow.

 **Adorablyscary33:** The bus has arrived, and so has your doom. See you in a bit!

Adora pocketed her phone as she stood up, grabbing her red leather jacket to throw over herself as the rain outside began to pick up. She inched her way out of the seats and down the aisle of the bus, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

Adora stepped off the bus, and into her final year at Bright Moon Academy.

It mostly looked the same, with a few students putting up signs about their clubs or chatting with friends they haven’t seen for weeks. Adora got a few greetings from people she knew in previous years as she ran for a roof to get out of the rain and into the main building. Homeroom was in a few minutes, after all.

The main hall was crowded with students figuring out their lockers or which room to go to. Adora pulled up the school map on her phone to find her way around the school, trying not to bump into too many people in the crowd.

“Adora! Darling!” Adora heard a familiar voice behind her, and turned around to see a friend she hadn’t seen since the end of May weaving their way through the crowd.

“Double Trouble, nice to see you!” Adora waved as she saw them. Double Trouble walked alongside Adora after finally catching up.

“How did the holidays treat you? Did you get a haircut, per chance?” Double Trouble asked the same question they asked at the start of almost every year, and Adora couldn’t help but chuckle as she shook her head.

“The hair poof is here to stay, sorry. I’ve grown too attached to it,” Adora explained as she ran a hand through her hair, rubbing the poof of hair near her own forehead as Double Trouble sighed.

“And I was attached to this particular blue skirt I saw yesterday until I realized I couldn’t afford it, dear. Sometimes you need to cut these things out of your life!” Double Trouble said, which Adora simply held up a hand in response.

“The more you complain about it, the longer it stays,” Adora spoke with a smug smile on her face, and Double Trouble stared deadpan at Adora, before shaking their head and handing Adora a small flyer. Adora looked at it, seeing rainbows covering the flyer with bright text.

_Come join the Bright Moon Pride Club! Meet ups during lunch and after school on Wednesday’s and Friday’s! A place for discussion, study, or just a general gay time._

“I know you give the same answer every year, but I just want you to know there’s a place for you whenever you want, darling. We’re always happy for new members!” Double Trouble beamed as Adora looked at the poster, before folding it and putting it neatly in her bag.

“I’ll… think about it,” Adora responded. Double Trouble grabbed Adora’s hand.

“You’ve been thinking about it for three years! Look… I won’t pressure you, doll, but the opportunity is always there. Bow is there too, so you won’t be completely alone!” Double Trouble let go of Adora’s hand as Adora smiled.

“I really appreciate it, DT. I’ll definitely let you know if I’m interested, alright?” Adora responded, and Double Trouble put a hand over their heart.

“You’re wonderful. I’ll see you around, darling!” Double Trouble waved as they emerged back into the crowd to hand out as many flyers as they could. It was nice to see them again. Adora was always happy to have a friend around who was as supportive as Double Trouble.

The bell rang as Adora went into her new homeroom and immediately scanned the room for any spare seats. Thankfully, she had some perfect ones near the back corner, placed right next to…

“Bow! Glimmer!” Adora called out as she jogged over to the friends she’s had longest in her schooling life. Bow was seated directly behind Adora, and Glimmer was seated in front of Adora, but first, the Best Friends Squad joined into their usual group hug.

“How’ve you been, Adora?” Glimmer asked, but before Adora could answer, she squeezed Bow as tightly as she could in a personal hug, almost choking him and crushing his ribs at the same time.

“Give me a bit… I have to get revenge for someone who won’t forget my past,” Adora said to Glimmer as she squeezed Bow tightly, lifting him in the air before finally letting go. “There! Hopefully that teaches you to respect your elders and not bring up embarrassing times of my history!”

Bow was gasping for air, but laughing all the same as he stared at Adora. “Did your grip get tighter or am I just weaker?” Bow asked.

“A bit of both,” Adora said with a smirk, crossing her arms. It was true that Adora had spent more time at the gym than usual, mostly out of boredom. Holidays alone usually got to her. “To answer your question,” Adora turned to Glimmer, “I’m doing great. Mostly ready to just… do stuff again instead of sitting around all day. Plus, it’s the final year, and everyone always told me this was the best year!”

“I bet,” Glimmer smiled as she sat at her desk, Adora doing the same as Glimmer turned around to face Adora. “You still in the track club this year? I mean, it’s your last shot to get first place in the 800 metres.”

“Why do you think I worked out so much over the break?” Adora put her chin on her palm. “Maybe I’ll be able to kickstart my career into becoming an Olympic athlete. You can be a part of my cheerleader squad.”

“You won’t catch me dead in those outfits,” Glimmer scoffed. “I’m plenty fine cheering you on from the comforts of the crowd in the stands.”

“I’ll be your cheerleader!” Bow spoke up, and Adora turned to face him. "I would look amazing in those outfits, and they allow for so much flexibility!"

“Knew I could count on you!” Adora smiled as she high fived Bow. “See? This is the guy that’s gonna get me past that finish line and into my Olympic career, and he'll look cute while doing it too. Together, we’ll travel the world…”

“Uh-huh. Send me pics from Paris when you get there,” Glimmer couldn’t help but smile at her friends. Nothing had really changed between them, even after all this time. The Best Friends Squad were loyal to the end, and they were all glad to have each other.

“Did Double Trouble offer for you to join us at the Pride Club again, Adora?” Bow asked, and Adora nodded. “Did you accept? We’d really love to have you there.”

“I… I don’t know. It feels like I’m intruding on something special if I go there, especially in my last year of all times,” Adora explained. “Plus, like… I don’t really know if I’m gay or straight or anything. I’ve never thought about that kind of stuff. Been single for life.”

“You don’t have to be queer to join, Adora. I didn’t know I was bisexual until last year, after all. But they still loved me when I first joined three years back, and they really helped me figure things out. It’s just a nice space for anyone,” Bow said. Adora shrugged, crossing her arms as their teacher, Castaspella, stepped into the classroom.

“I’ll definitely think about it, alright?” Adora whispered as the class went quiet. The rain grew heavy outside of the classroom window, and scattered across the rooftops. It comforted Adora’s soul as Castaspella’s voice slowly drowned out amidst the warmth of being indoors during rain.

Adora glanced around at her homeroom, and noticed one empty seat next to hers. Who would miss school on the first day? Maybe the rain had caught them up. Castaspella’s voice suddenly interjected as she clapped her hands together.

“So! Before we go any further, I would like to introduce someone new to the class who will be joining us for her final year. Please give a warm welcome to her, and treat her kindly,” Castaspella explained. She waved to the door, and it slowly opened.

In stepped a girl who Adora’s eyes were immediately drawn to.

The first thing Adora saw was her differently colored eyes. One yellow, the other turquoise. Those eyes were scanning the room as the girl entered, observing each person individually. Like those eyes were looking for targets, or people to avoid.

Adora looked at the rest of the girl. She had freckles on her soft cheeks, and a slender body. Her long hair went down to the mid-point of her shoulder blades.

Adora couldn’t take her eyes off this girl. She was usually distracted by the rain, but she was instead distracted by this new person. This girl who had literally walked in on her life, bringing about a demeanour of both intimidation, but also fright. Like she wanted to establish her dominance, but was afraid of failing.

“Hey,” the girl spoke. The voice made Adora’s spine tingle, and she immediately felt her face going red as she quickly looked away before she fell into a wreck. “My name is… Catra. It’s… nice to meet you all.”

Catra. Her name was Catra. Adora turned away from the girl, and yet her eyes stayed glued to Catra’s face. It was like they were stuck, and no matter what Adora did, she couldn’t hide herself. It was just a new student, but Adora couldn’t figure out why she was taking so much interest in the girl.

Glimmer glanced at Adora, and Adora glanced back. It was just a new student. Nothing to really get excited over. Adora kept telling herself that, but she couldn’t keep down the fact that this girl was definitely making an impression most new student’s fail to do.

“I believe… Yes, there’s a seat next to Adora over there,” Castaspella pointed out. Adora glanced at the empty seat next to her, and glanced back at Catra, who was already making her way towards Adora.

Adora hid her stares, simply looking at her own hands as she felt Catra’s presence next to her. It took everything in her not to glance at Catra one more time, but ultimately, Adora failed, her eyes looking to her right.

And directly into Catra’s eyes.

Adora and Catra stared at each other, and Adora almost felt a sense of intimacy. Eye contact. The eyes were the windows into Catra’s soul, and Adora could see the droplets forming in the midst of them. Adora didn’t know how long she stared into Catra’s eyes, but however long it was, it was enough to make her entire face go red as she looked away.

Adora didn’t dare to look back at Catra for the rest of homeroom, but she already knew this year was going to be more interesting than any other with her around.

* * *

During lunch break, Adora sat at the indoor cafeteria with Bow and Glimmer, like usual. Bow and Glimmer were mostly discussing their holidays, but Adora couldn’t help but glance over to the corner of the cafeteria room.

Catra sat alone with little food at her feet that she wasn’t even thinking about eating. She didn’t look depressed; more that she wanted to avoid everyone. She bunched her knees up to her chest and barely looked at anyone, except for those who would occasionally pass her.

On the one hand, Adora wanted to sit with her and talk. Get to know Catra and perhaps make a new friend. On the other hand, what would they even talk about? Does Catra even want to talk?

“I heard she was expelled myself.”

Adora’s ears perked up as she heard the voices of the table behind her. People in her class, talking about Catra. General gossip that Adora usually didn’t pay any mind to, except for now. If it had to do with Catra, she couldn’t avoid it.

“Shit, really?” One person asked as Adora listened in.

“She got into some crazy fight and scratched the hell out of the other guy. Had to be pulled from the school and was shoved here instead,” the original storyteller explained.

“Do you know why she did it?” Another voice asked.

“No clue. Maybe she’s just crazy. Maybe someone pissed her off,” the storyteller said. It was clear that it was gossip for fun, but the way the storyteller spoke almost made Adora believe it was the truth.

She didn’t want to indulge in baseless gossip, especially over someone she just met, but Catra was growing more and more intriguing to Adora by the second. The way she sat alone, even the way she sorted through her textbooks, was like a show for Adora. Catra had some feign of mystery about her, but also a sense of loneliness.

“Adora? You still here?” Glimmer suddenly asked, snapping Adora out of a trance. “If you’re not going to have your rice, I’ll gladly take it.”

“Don’t you dare,” Adora chuckled, keeping her food to herself. She glanced at Catra’s position again, but in the blink of an eye, she had vanished. Everything this girl did only made her more and more interesting to Adora.

The bell rang after Adora had finished her lunch. “What’ve you got after this?” Bow asked Adora.

“Literature,” Adora replied. It was one of the few classes Adora did by herself usually, but things changed this time around. When she walked into the small classroom, she found Catra already at her desk, reading through the first prescribed novel of the year.

Adora was seated further away from Catra this time, but that didn’t stop her occasionally looking at the girl. When it came to group discussions, Adora could barely contribute to hers. Her mind was drawn to the new girl as she talked with her own group, bringing one leg up on her own seat.

Adora had never quite felt like this before. This sense of rush upon seeing someone, the heart skipping a beat and the stomach tightening. It was something that was hard to capture for her. She wanted, more than anything, to simply go over and talk to her. But the very idea seemed wrong. Why should they talk?

Adora kept to herself to the end of the school day as the rain faded away. The first day may have been the same as usual, but to Adora, it felt like the beginning of something entirely new.

* * *

Adora threw another kick at the heavy bag before her. It was a clean kick, shaking the bag and swinging it back and forth.

Adora was finishing up a workout at the gym, wearing her usual clothes of a fitted top and long yoga pants. Her hands were wrapped in tape for the last part of her training session, which involving sparring with either a heavy bag or a partner.

Tonight, it was the bag. She threw two jabs and a left hook, repeating the action for a minute. Meanwhile, her mind was wandering off to the first day. To Catra.

No words were exchanged, but it felt like something had bloomed from the moment they made eye contact in that classroom. Adora couldn’t describe it, and she was entirely sure it was one-sided, but she just couldn’t let it go no matter how hard she tried.

Catra was slowly beginning to invade her life.

Adora let out a final grunt as she threw one more roundhouse kick at the bag, before backing away and finding somewhere to sit, grabbing her towel and wiping the sweat off her forehead as she panted. She sat back, taking a drink of water.

“Mind if I take the bag?”

A voice sounded next to Adora, and she glanced over to find Catra sitting right next to her.

Adora choked on her water, keeping it down but nearly spitting it out. She had no clue Catra was at the same gym she went to, and it almost gave her a heart attack upon seeing her. “Y-yeah, sure, I was just finishing up…” Adora said after trying to hide her coughing from nearly choking to death.

Catra stared at Adora like she had a third eye for a few seconds, before standing up and going over to the heavy bag. Adora began to unwrap the tape on her hands after calming down, looking at Catra as she got into a fighting stance and threw a roundhouse kick.

When it connected with the heavy bag, it sounded like a gunshot.

Adora was impressed with Catra’s physique, and Catra also took interest in Adora’s body, especially the well-toned arms and strong legs. The two women did their best not to stare for too long, but it was hard. Adora, however, watched as Catra threw five consecutive kicks, each as strong as the last.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Catra has actually gotten into a fight. Adora was almost intimidated by her.

Adora put her hand tape away and sat on the floor, stretching her left leg out and reaching to touch her toe, slowly cooling down and relaxing her leg muscles. “So…” Catra started, throwing another kick before turning to face Adora. “Noticed you staring at me a bunch today.”

Adora cursed under her breath, before speaking up. “Sorry for creeping you out. I swear I’m not a stalker or anything, it’s just… I don’t know…”

Catra snickered for a bit, before throwing a few jabs at the heavy bag. “I’m kidding with you, dude. I don’t give a shit, honestly. I was staring at you a bit, too.”

Adora’s face went red, and not just from exhaustion. “You were?” Adora asked.

“Well… Kinda. I mean, we have so many classes together, after all. Look, I’m just trying to say not to worry too much. I didn’t want things to be…” Catra threw a heavy hook. “Weird, between us.”

“Well… thanks for that,” Adora responded as she stretched an arm over her head, feeling a slight sense of relief that she hadn't made an enemy with the girl she was so fascinated with. “So… what did you think of your first day?” She asked.

“It was alright,” Catra said, throwing another combination of jabs and hooks. “Nothing to complain about, honestly. Especially compared to the last school I went to.”

“Yeah…” Adora mumbled. She wanted to bring up the rumour about Catra’s expulsion from her previous school, and the fight she got into, but decided against that. Either it was a baseless rumour and Adora made herself seem like a gossip queen, or it was true and was simply bringing up bad memories for Catra. “Have you… joined any clubs yet?”

“Nah… Got a ton of offers, though,” Catra replied. “Are you in any clubs?”

“The track club,” Adora responded to the girl. Catra looked at Adora’s legs quickly, and let out a slight chuckle.

“I kinda guessed that, actually. You seem like a running girl,” Catra spoke in an almost teasing tone. Adora laughed a bit.

“Yeah, well… I enjoy it,” Adora responded.

It was a conversation that really went nowhere, but beyond all else, Adora felt comfortable talking to this girl. It felt like no judgement was coming from her, and that she was quite easy to be around. A safe person. That’s what Adora liked. She felt safe around Catra.

Catra threw one last combination, before wiping her sweat with her forearm. She glanced over at Adora. “Mind if I borrow your water for a bit?” Catra asked.

“Sure,” Adora threw her water bottle in Catra’s direction, and the new girl caught it. As Adora signed herself out of the gym and got her jacket out of her gym bag, she looked over to Catra to see her chugging Adora’s water. Her lips in the same spot that Adora's were just a few moments ago. The liquid went down Catra’s chin slightly, coating her body that was already soaked in sweat.

Adora was staring yet again, and she could barely stop herself as Catra took the bottle away from her lips, screwing the cap back on and throwing it back to Adora. “Thanks,” Catra said. “You leaving?”

“Yeah… It was nice meeting you, though,” Adora smiled. She felt like a blushing school girl, maybe because she was, but Catra did return the smile, snapping her fingers and giving Adora a singular finger gun.

“Likewise,” Catra returned, and the two girls laughed. “I’ll… see you tomorrow, I suppose.”

“Yeah! For… for sure,” Adora nodded. She and Catra stared at each other for a few more seconds, and Adora gazed into her soul one more time. The droplets forming in Catra’s eyes, and the colors that shined brighter than the sun were enough to make Adora stare forever.

But eventually, Adora was the first to look away and leave the gym, entering the chilly night.

The town was still live with people, restaurants, dates, cars and stores. It was dark, the moon shining in the sky and the stars as bright as always. Adora walked home alone, like she usually did, and mostly avoided anyone she saw on the sidewalk. And they avoided her.

However, she saw one woman who wasn’t avoiding her.

This woman had seen Adora leave the gym, and approached Adora directly. She stood in front of Adora, blocking her path and forcing Adora to look up at her.

The woman stood tall over Adora, and sent chills down Adora’s spine. All of a sudden, Adora felt like she was going to die. The woman had a presence about her that legitimately scared Adora beyond comprehension.

“Hello,” the woman spoke. Her voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. “Allow me to… introduce myself. My name is Shadow Weaver, although, you’ll probably know me as Catra’s mother.”

This woman did not look like Catra’s mom at all. Shadow Weaver seemed to instantly recognize Adora’s confusion, and raised a hand. “Do not worry. She is adopted, but she is my daughter nonetheless. She has... not been home all night. I’ve been looking for her, but I can’t quite seem to find her. I noticed you go to the same school as her now. Did she mention going somewhere tonight? Have you… seen her recently, perhaps?”

Adora could’ve easily told Shadow Weaver, Catra’s adoptive mother, where she was. The gym, at the heavy bags, cracking roundhouse kicks that sounded like explosions. It wasn’t far away, either. Adora could easily point Shadow Weaver in the right direction.

But this woman scared Adora, freezing her bones and making the temperature drop by many degrees. Adora swallowed, and slowly getting movement back in her body, she shook her head. “No… sorry. I don’t know where she is.”

She lied. Adora didn’t lie often, but something in her mind told her that she needed to lie now. But she was clearly bad at it, as Shadow Weaver narrowed her eyes and glared down at Adora. Staring directly into her soul, almost trying to steal it. Adora felt like throwing up.

But Shadow Weaver backed away. “That’s a shame. Do let me know if you see her. She shouldn’t be out here when it starts to rain tonight.”

Adora nodded her head, and Shadow Weaver walked pass Adora. Adora let out a breath, and felt her shoulders finally relax. She was regaining feeling in her body again after Shadow Weaver nearly scared her stiff.

Why was Catra running away from her adoptive mother? Why didn’t she bring it up? These were another few questions to add to the list, but Adora could never ask Catra about them. They were way too personal. Adora barely knew her in the first place.

Adora watched Shadow Weaver walk away, but for a few seconds, she stopped to make sure Shadow Weaver walked pass the gym.

She looked in Shadow Weaver’s direction for some time, and saw the woman walk away and not even glance at the gym. Adora sighed, relief filling her body. Shadow Weaver would have no clue where Catra was for a little while longer.

Adora didn’t know why she was relieved. But she felt as if Catra needed to be alone. It was the same as in the cafeteria. She was alone on purpose, and away from Shadow Weaver for a reason.

That reason wasn’t for Adora to know. At least, not yet. She walked towards her home with more questions than answers, but knew one thing for sure.

Catra was going to make this year more chaotic than Adora could ever realize.


	2. Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the lovely, beautiful feedback! It means the world to me. Nothing inspires me more than y'all. I hope you continue to enjoy this journey alongside Adora. <3

It was lonely, but it was home.

Adora entered the large apartment building just as the rain started picking up in the night sky. Her place was on the fifth floor, just a few seconds in an elevator to get up, or a few minutes on the stairs if she really wanted to get a workout in.

Adora had only recently started living by herself, moving here just near the beginning of the school holidays. She enjoyed the independence of her life, and appreciated creating her own schedule and doing her own thing. It came with the sense of being alone, with no roommate to be with, and it wasn’t exactly a large flat.

But home is where the heart is, and Adora was comfortable.

The elevator made a tone as the door opened, and Adora went to her room, just at the end of the hall. She carried her gym bag and fished her keys out of it, opening to home sweet home.

A studio apartment, with her bed in the back corner near a window, the living room being the first room to greet her, and the kitchen off to the left. The bathroom being the only separate room in the flat. It was definitely made for just one person, and it was the cheapest to live in.

Adora dumped her gym bag by the entrance as rain began to pick up outside, creating those familiar droplets on the large windows. They crowded together, and slid slowly down as the light of the city and the moon filled the night sky and beamed into Adora’s dark room.

She flicked her own light on as she closed the door, taking a few moment to get out of her gym clothes and into some comfortable, warm pyjamas, which was usually consisted of just a loose shirt.

Catra was still on her mind.

The chills that Shadow Weaver left still rippled in Adora’s body, and her mind wondered to Catra’s home life. She had ran away, and she didn’t even tell Adora. Not like she had to, but it was still curious to Adora. What drove Catra to run? Was it a common thing?

Adora connected her phone to the single Bluetooth speaker in her room and played music quietly as she sat on the bed, her back against the wall as she went to check social media. There wasn’t too much study this early into the academic year, so she had more free time than usual.

Instead of scrolling through her feed like usual, however, Adora immediately began to search around her social media apps for Catra.

It was a bit hard going off just her first name, but the third result in one of the apps looked like her. Her username being _NoPurr44_ , which Adora smiled at. When she opened Catra’s social media profile, she saw an option to send a follow request.

“Would that be weird…?” Adora whispered to herself. She had only talked to the girl for a few minutes, and sending a request would basically tell Catra that Adora was online stalking. But at the same time, it’s a public profile, isn’t it? Adora’s thumb hovered over the follow request button, hesitating for about five minutes.

It was ironic that after a ninety minute workout, this was the hardest thing to do for Adora tonight. She weighed up the pros and cons of each situation and her mind raced with the consequences. 

Ultimately, Adora sighed and closed her eyes, letting her thumb rest against her screen and sending the request.

For the next few minutes after that, she put her phone away and wondered if she just made the worst decision of her entire life. What would be the response? Would Catra laugh at this pathetic girl for already following someone she talked to for a few minutes? Would Catra find it creepy and spread rumors about Adora being a stalker?

“I’m such an idiot…” Adora panicked to herself as she looked out the window and watched a few cars drive by on the streets way below her. Being five stories up, she was able to look down on the lives of the people of the night. She found it fascinating seeing what everyone did at nine o’clock at night.

Sometimes Adora made up stories about the people she saw. Maybe that person was planning to propose to their partner, or that person just brought lottery tickets? Maybe that person was struggling with her feelings, and that person was keen to buy a new video game?

Their lives fascinated Adora. She did feel a bit creepy staring at random people on the street, but it’s not like they would ever notice.

Adora felt her phone vibrate in her left hand and immediately covered her eyes with her right. She held the phone up, and separated her fingers, allowing her eyes to see whatever notification had shown up.

**NoPurr44 has accepted your follow request.**

Adora dropped her hand and felt an insane wave of relief overcome her. It wasn’t a message, but it was the next best thing. Adora rubbed her forehead and wondered why she was even worrying in the first place, but she moved pass it.

She opened the app and began to scroll through Catra’s page. She updated it not as much as Adora had seen other people do, with Catra's last post being four months old, that post being a picture. In the picture, Catra seemed to be hanging out with a friend at a pier somewhere. Or perhaps it was a girlfriend.

Adora quickly checked Catra’s relationship status. _Single_. Adora wasn’t sure why she was relieved.

The caption of Catra's image with her friend was simply a tag. _@GreatHugs2_ , who Adora assumed was Catra's friend in the picture. Adora had never seen her before. She opened the friend’s page and found it belonged to someone named Scorpia.

Adora scrolled through Scorpia’s page to find much more frequent updates, including one from half an hour ago that showed her video calling Catra. This girl and Catra were obviously close, and Adora almost felt a sense of envy.

Upon closer inspection, Adora recognized the background of Catra's video as a nearby café. Adora smiled upon seeing Catra so happy to be talking to a friend, even if it wasn’t herself.

“What am I doing…? I barely know her… Come on, Adora,” Adora whispered to herself. Adora saw that Scorpia’s direct messages were open, and felt a sudden sense of intrigue.

Would it be weird to message Scorpia? She seemed nice enough. Her biography listed ‘talking to friends’ as a hobby, so it didn’t seem like she was super introverted. Adora tapped her foot against her bed as she opened messages and typed out a text for Scorpia.

 **Adorablyscary33:** Hi there!

Adora immediately erased that message after typing it out. Way too friendly, Adora thought. She hadn’t met Scorpia before. Adora sighed, banging her head against the wall. How does one even start a conversation in the first place? Especially when it relates to a girl you only just met.

Adora looked at the empty text box. “Screw it,” she whispered, and typed whatever came to mind.

 **Adorablyscary33:** Hey there! I’m super sorry if this seems out of nowhere and I freak you out but I noticed you were a friend of Catra’s and she’s new at my school. I was wondering if you could tell me about her?

“That… sounds creepy,” Adora said upon seeing what she typed out, but as she went to delete it, her thumb accidentally pressed against the send button, and her message was sent directly to Scorpia. Adora’s eyes widened and she immediately shut her phone off, throwing it across the room in a state of panic. “Shit…” Adora whispered.

She just accidentally sent the creepiest message of her entire life to someone she didn’t even know. Adora put her hands to her forehead and let out a sigh, her voice shaking slightly. What surprised her even more was her phone vibrating within the next two minutes.

Surely Scorpia hadn’t responded already?

Adora felt a pit in her stomach about whatever Scorpia’s response was going to be. Was it judgemental? Scared? Horrified? Angry? Adora almost wanted to destroy her phone before finding out, but she slowly gave in to her fears and picked up her phone from near the front door, turning it over to reveal Scorpia’s message.

 **GreatHugs2:** Catra already has a friend? Oh wow, that is AMAZING! I’m so proud of my buddy! Yes, hi, I was Catra’s best friend from the school she used to go to. She’s amazing, right? Tell me she’s having a great time at Bright Moon.

This… may have been the nicest message Adora had ever seen from a complete stranger. She opened her phone and typed out a response, feeling an immense level of comfort. While she was at the door, she flicked off the lights and drowned the room in darkness, except for the brightness from her phone screen illuminating onto her face.

 **Adorablyscary33:** She’s in my homeroom and we talked for a bit today at the gym. Yeah, she’s great. What was she like at your school?

 **GreatHugs2:** We hung out a lot, like, a LOT! Though, she never talked to many people besides me… A lot of people gave her a hard time.

"Hard time...?" Adora wondered to herself as she laid down on her bed. 

**Adorablyscary33:** Yeah, she didn’t talk to many people today. Why did people give her a hard time?

 **GreatHugs2:** I don’t know! Some people made fun of her adoptive status, some people made fun of her low test scores, and some people were just flat out mean! I was always trying to be there for her but Catra sometimes wanted to just be alone… Next thing I knew one day, she got into a fight and she was expelled.

Adora stared at the message. It answered a few questions, but not too many. Catra was clearly bullied at her old school for various reasons, but from what Adora could gather from the little she knew about Catra, she wasn’t the type to take that to heart. It had to be something else that made her explode and fight.

“Why am I making assumptions?” Adora asked herself. She didn’t know how Catra acted around people. She was mostly assuming. Still, it was hard to hear about her life at her old school. It was clearly a risk for her to talk to people, because she assumed everyone else would treat her the same.

 **Adorablyscary33:** That sucks to hear. Catra seems great. She doesn’t deserve that.

 **GreatHugs2:** I know! I’m just glad she found a friend so soon. I would’ve come with her if that was possible.

 **Adorablyscary33:** You seem like a great friend, Scorpia. I’m glad she has you too.

 **GreatHugs2:** Oh, stop it… Hey, I have to go, but thanks for letting me know how Catra is doing. Take care of her for me, please. You’re the best!

Adora smiled at the message and closed her phone, sinking into the sounds of her music as she stared out of the large window next to her bed and pondered about the conversation she had just had.

It made sense why Catra avoided most people. Anyone in her situation would not trust those new students around them. But the context around the apparent fight that got her expelled was still a complete mystery, as was Catra’s home life.

The droplets formed on Adora’s window, and she watched one in particular. It collided with another droplet and became even bigger, causing it to slide faster and faster, knocking each and every other droplet out of its path and crossing the finish line at the bottom of the window.

It was like one of Adora’s track races. The 800 metre competition was in a few weeks time, and Adora knew she needed to prepare herself. She wondered if Catra would watch her.

Adora shook her head. Why would Catra watch her in the first place?

Adora undid her ponytail and let her hair flow down to her shoulders as she lay in bed, putting her phone on charge and setting the usual alarm for the morning. It was a night to ponder about the entire day she just had. Meeting Catra felt like a life changing event, and yet, Adora was the same as always. Tomorrow was her usual classes with Bow, Glimmer and her other friends. Maybe Catra would be in some too.

Adora hoped she had classes with Catra tomorrow, and she didn’t know why she hoped for that.

* * *

Adora didn’t see much of Catra the next day, or the day after.

Unfortunately, literature was the only class they shared, and Adora dedicated her Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons to practice for track instead of the gym. But that didn’t mean that Catra left her mind. Almost every minute was spent thinking about Catra.

Adora wondered about her home. Her old school. Her life. Catra rarely posted on social media so it was hard to get a grasp. As Adora ran a few laps around the large track on the school’s sports field on that warm Wednesday afternoon, she looked out towards Bright Moon Academy. After school hours was reserved for only club activities. The Pride Club would be going on about now.

Tuesday was a time for Adora to train with the rest of the track club, whilst Wednesday was solo practice. In reality, Adora did have the time to attend the Pride Club on the Wednesday and Friday they were open. It wouldn’t be hard. But Adora felt that nagging sense that she was barging in on a space that wasn’t meant for her.

Adora finished up her last lap and put her hands behind her head, panting and letting her body slowly relax. The orange sun beamed on her on that track as she laid on her back, sucking in oxygen as much as she could. She felt her heart pound hard and fast.

She slowly felt her body begin to return to normal as she stood up, going over to her school bag and grabbing water and a change of clothes. The changing room would be empty about now, making it easy for Adora to be in.

Adora wore clothes suited for warm weather. Shorts, a denim jacket and striped shirt. She slung her school bag over her shoulder and adjusted her ponytail as she made her way towards the buses that ran for after school activities.

Walking pass a few empty classrooms, Adora noticed a few that were beaming with club activities. The literature club with its five members, the anime club with about a dozen, and the Pride Club. Rainbows were spread throughout the room as everyone sat in a circle and introduced themselves to each other.

Adora glanced into the room as she walked pass to see the usual suspects. Double Trouble, Bow, and Catra. She was ready to walk to the bus when she suddenly came to a grinding halt.

“Catra?” Adora wondered out loud, thinking she hallucinated for a second. She looked back into the Pride Club room, and sure enough, Catra was in there, telling everyone about herself.

Adora didn’t even know Catra was in a club, much less the Pride Club. She found herself staring at Catra’s lips as she talked, but not being able to make out what she said. Everything felt like a blur upon seeing Catra in that rainbow filled room.

Adora saw Catra suddenly stop speaking and turn her head. Their eyes made contact as Catra noticed Adora staring, and Adora immediately walked away as soon as Catra spotted her. Adora’s face was beaming red, she could already tell.

She made a mental note to stop the staring, but Adora was certainly not expecting Catra to be in any clubs this early on. The Pride Club must be an extremely warm space if Catra felt safe there, and Adora felt a sense of satisfaction that Catra had found somewhere safe to be.

She wondered if she should tell Scorpia. Did Scorpia know already? They hadn’t messaged each other since that first night, so it might be weird to do. Adora pulled out her phone to see a message from Bow.

 **Bownarrow174:** Was that you outside?

Adora felt a chill up her spine when she realized it wasn’t just Catra that spotted her, but almost everyone in that room. She covered her face as she stepped on the bus, typing a response to Bow.

 **Adorablyscary33:** Would you believe me if I said you were hallucinating?

 **Bownarrow174:** You don’t have to spy on us, Adora. We’re always happy to have you.

 **Adorablyscary33:** I know, I know… It’s just that I noticed your new member.

 **Bownarrow174:** Oh, Catra? Yeah, she’s great. She mentioned you actually.

“She did?!” Adora said out loud, before immediately shutting up as she felt every single pair of eyes on that bus stare at her. Adora sunk in her seat and continued typing, feeling red in the face yet again.

 **Adorablyscary33:** What did she say?

 **Bownarrow174:** How you were her first friend at this school and all. It was sweet! Oh, but I can’t really mention anything beyond that. Confidentiality and all, you know…

“Friend…” Adora didn’t even know that Catra considered her a friend. It felt like butterflies filled her stomach upon seeing that word. ‘Friend’. Catra considered Adora a friend. Her first friend. It wasn’t just one-sided. Adora could barely contain her smile as she typed out a last message.

 **Adorablyscary33:** Thanks for telling me. Looking forward to Friday afternoon!

Adora put her phone away and smiled like an idiot as she stared out the bus window.

Friend. Adora was Catra’s friend.

It felt nice.

* * *

Adora noticed Catra walking into the gym this time.

It was the next day; a Thursday afternoon, which meant the gym for Adora. She was almost anticipating Catra walking into those double doors, and felt a tinge of excitement as Catra signed herself in. Catra’s eyes met Adora’s yet again, but instead of looking away, Adora gave a small wave.

She immediately regretted it, feeling dumb, but her fears were crushed when Catra gave a small wave back. That fear was replaced with a fire of joy. Adora lifted her dumbbell a few more times as Catra approached her.

“Hey Adora,” Catra greeted. For some reason, Catra seemed… reserved. She had been like this all day, avoiding Adora’s eyes in homeroom and literature. Adora didn't want to pry, but she worried for Catra.

Catra grabbed her own left arm, rubbing it and shifting her eyes all over the gym like she was looking for threats. “Um… did I see you yesterday? At the… the Pride Club?”

“Yeah…” Adora responded, feeling a sense of dread. Did she make Catra feel uncomfortable? “I was… training for track and I usually walk pass it on my way home. I swear I didn’t mean to stare or anything…”

“Oh, no, it’s okay, but… Uh…” Catra scratched her head, sighing. “Shit… Sorry, I’m still having trouble telling people this but… There was a reason I was at that club...” Catra put her hands together and avoided Adora’s eyes as she spoke. Adora stood up, almost wanting to hug Catra. She seemed scared about something, and shrunk before Adora.

“I’m… I’m gay, Adora," Catra spoke softly. "I… really hope that doesn’t make you see me any different, or… make you hate me or anything.”

Catra finally looked into Adora’s eyes as she came out. Adora finally realized why Catra was so anxious all day. This was hard for anyone to do. "Catra… thank you for trusting me enough to tell me that,” Adora smiled, speaking in a comforting tone to try and calm Catra. “I promise you, I have no issues with it. I was only staring because I had no idea you were in a club in the first place. I’m friends with DT and they always try to recommend it to me, so… Anyway, what I’m trying to say is…” Adora took a breath. “We’re still friends, Catra. Okay? Nothing is gonna change that.”

Adora could see Catra’s shoulders drop as she let out a deep sigh of relief, instantly feeling a sense of comfort. “Thank… thank you. Thank you so much, I… I was worried that you would find it weird or something.”

“Nah, not at all. If anything, I’m the weird one for always staring,” Adora chuckled, and Catra joined her. “But really… Thanks for trusting me, Catra. I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable or unsafe in any way. I promise I’m here for you.”

Adora realized those were some very intimate words. Catra smiled upon hearing them, and Adora didn’t regret a single thing. “It’s okay, Adora. I really appreciate it," Catra spoke in a warm tone. 

The two girls stared at each other with deep smiles for a few seconds, before Adora broke eye contact, pointing to the heavy punching bag in the corner. “I should… get back to training. But let me know if you need me to spot you or if you… just wanna talk or anything. Like I said, I’m here for you.”

Catra nodded, picking up a dumbbell that was one size heavier than the one Adora was lifting earlier. “Actually, there’s something I wanted to ask you…” Catra spoke as she started doing some bicep curls. “Did you… run into my mom on Monday night?”

Adora remembered that encounter with Shadow Weaver. The sense of terror and dread she brought was still resonating in Adora, and the thought of her also raised a million questions that Adora wanted to ask, but knew she couldn’t. Instead, Adora nodded. “Yeah.”

“Did she… ask you where I was?” Catra spoke quietly, as if trying not to be heard by anyone but Adora. Again, Adora nodded.

“She did.”

Catra lowered the dumbbell for a bit. “What did you say?”

Adora felt a chill in her stomach, and swallowed a lump in her throat. “That I had no clue where you were,” Adora responded honestly.

Catra seemed unfocused for a few seconds as her mind wandered. She stared at nothing in particular, and Adora looked at her eyes. The droplets racing. Catra looked up at Adora, and nodded. “Thank you.”

Catra appreciated Adora’s lie. It was odd, but Adora simply nodded and walked away as Catra continued with her training. This confirmed in Adora’s mind that Catra had deliberately avoided Shadow Weaver, and didn’t want to be found.

But Adora still didn’t know why. It was a question for another time. Whenever Catra was comfortable.

Adora raised her arms, and threw a left hook at the punching bag.

* * *

The end of the first week came about fast, but Adora’s mind was still on Catra. She sat on her bed in her studio apartment, but this time, she wasn’t alone.

Glimmer and Bow sat together in the small living room, streaming a movie on the small TV. It was the first get-together for the Best Friends Squad in a while, and Adora always loved having Bow and Glimmer over to watch movies or just generally hang out with.

This time however, Adora’s mind was distracted. Again, there wasn’t much of Catra today. The conversation they had at the gym still resonated in her mind as she looked out the window and saw the light rain hit the glass yet again.

Adora turned to Bow and Glimmer as the TV light illuminated on their faces. “Hey…” Adora spoke up, and the two turned to look at her. “This might seem… totally random, but… what do you guys think of Catra? That new girl?”

Bow and Glimmer looked at each other for a bit, before Glimmer shrugged. “I haven’t talked to her much. She seems alright, I guess. I’ve heard some nasty rumors about her, but I mostly ignore it. She seems harmless to me.”

“She’s nice to have in the Pride Club,” Bow responded after Glimmer. “She doesn’t talk a whole bunch, but she says she likes having a space to be safe in, and really appreciates the Pride Club. She mostly keeps to herself, but like Glimmer said, I think she’s harmless. Those rumors about her getting into fights are just dumb.”

Adora nodded slowly, looking at her own hands as they rested on her knees. “Why do you ask?” Glimmer said, causing Adora’s eyes to widen. On the spot, she had to think of an answer that made her sound not creepy at all.

“Oh, just… curious. That’s all,” Adora smiled, but Glimmer tilted her head.

“You’ve never been this curious about a new student before, though… I mean, what’s so special about her to you?” Glimmer asked, and Adora felt like disappearing right then and there. She brought her knees up to her chest and panicked slightly, before Glimmer simply laughed. “I’m kidding! I mean, I do wonder why you’re so in love with her, but it’s none of my business.”

“I’m not… What… I’m not in love!” Adora felt her face go completely red as Glimmer laughed. “I’m not! She’s literally only been here for a week!”

“And I am a firm believer in love at first sight, so…” Glimmer smirked at Adora. “Plus, the fact you’re getting all flustered is a sign…”

“I… You… What…” Adora could barely get a grapple on the basic English language, and instead resorted to throwing a pillow at Glimmer. “Screw you, Glimmer!”

“I’m not the one you should be screwing!” Glimmer laughed as she caught the pillow and Adora’s face went even more red.

“What is wrong with you?! I should… kick you out or something!” Adora spoke, but every word only made Glimmer laugh even harder. Even Bow was getting a slight chuckle out of the whole situation.

“But it’s raining and I’ll get wet!” Glimmer complained, but she couldn’t stop her laughter. It was so contagious that Adora couldn’t help but join her as she pointed a finger.

“I’m only laughing cause you’re dumb! I do not have a crush on anyone!” Adora said, and Glimmer wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes.

“Sure, sure… Whatever you say, Adora.”

Adora sighed. They were dumb, but they were her best friends. Adora wouldn't trade them for the world.

Adora went over to Glimmer and sat next to her, finally joining her friends in watching the movie. Catra was still holding a place in her mind, but for tonight, there was nothing better than relaxing with friends and watching dumb movies.

Suddenly, Adora felt Glimmer lean her head on her shoulder, and Adora rested her head on top of Glimmer’s, cuddling her. It was nice to be close to a friend after so long, and especially since the weekend was tomorrow. Adora sat close with her friends, and for that night, the world didn’t feel like chaos.

* * *

Adora was the first to wake in the morning on that Saturday.

She had fallen asleep in the middle of a movie, still leaning up against Glimmer, who had her arms wrapped around Bow now. Adora stretched her arms above her head, and stood up, grabbing the hairband nearby to tie her hair into a ponytail.

It was a chilly morning judging by the fog outside, but by now the café down the street should be open. Adora knew exactly what Glimmer and Bow liked to have from that café, so Adora grabbed her wallet and went out to pick up the morning coffee for everyone.

Her breath was visible before her as she walked towards the coffee shop, seeing everyone on their morning jog or simply getting around. It was definitely Fall weather, chilling Adora’s skin and making her rub her hands together.

Cars drove pass slowly and some of the rain from last night left the road wet, but not drenched. The road reflected the light of the clouds, and small puddles formed on the sidewalk. Adora watched as children splashed in the puddle, and she made an effort to avoid it.

The coffee shop was only a few blocks away, and entering it felt like a instant rush of warmth. The heat of the place soothed Adora’s skin, and she noticed it was rather busy. Some people in suits were reading the newspaper as they sat their own booths, and a few couples were sitting by the window, talking and watching the cars go by.

It felt comfortable. Like a second home for Adora.

Adora checked how much money she had as she approached the front counter to order. If there was enough, she’d also bring along a few snacks for breakfast. Bagels were a particular favourite of Bow’s. The cashier in front of Adora spoke up as Adora checked her wallet.

“Hi there! How can I…” Whoever was speaking sounded extremely familiar, and they clearly recognized Adora too.

Adora looked up to see who was taking her order. She stared into a pair of different colored eyes. Adora felt the world stop around her, and she almost lost her grip on her wallet as she realized who was taking her order behind that counter.

Catra was working at the coffee shop, and Adora was looking right into her eyes. Catra wore a work uniform, and Adora couldn’t help but notice just how cute she looked in it. That came second, however, to the shock of seeing Catra out of nowhere like this. Adora didn't even know Catra had a job. Slowly, a smile creeped on Catra’s face as she spoke.

“Hey Adora,” Catra spoke in a gentle, almost teasing tone. “Can I take your order?”


	3. Race

It was definitely up there with one of the stranger moments of Adora’s life.

She looked down at the girl before her, ready to take her coffee order. Only thing was that this was the same girl Adora had been thinking about the entire week, and had only ever really seen at school and at the gym.

She never expected to see her at this café, and she definitely didn’t expect her to be working here of all things. She must’ve gotten the job recently.

Adora felt her heart skip a few beats upon seeing Catra, mostly out of sheer shock but also out of just… seeing Catra. Her eyes, the uniform, her hair… Adora nearly forgot how to speak in that moment upon seeing her. She had to clear her throat, hiding her sudden shock thanks to the line of customers behind her growing impatient.

“Uh…” Adora had to remember the same order she had gotten at this café for the last three months. Her mind had almost been completely wiped in this moment, and she was slowly starting to realize just how embarrassing it was. “Two cappuccinos and… a mocha, please… Oh, and a couple of bagels… Please…”

Adora regretted almost every single word she just said. She spoke like she was in public speaking and had no idea what to do. She didn’t even greet Catra, and she was probably being too quiet. On top of feeling insanely rude, she also felt like the weirdest person in the room as Catra put in her order. “Will that be all today?” Catra asked, looking back at Adora. Directly into her eyes.

Adora gripped her wallet so tightly she felt like she was going to tear it as she nodded. “Yeah.”

Catra glanced at the screen in front of her. “That’s ten dollars and forty cents, please,” Catra smiled, and Adora finally remembered she actually had to pay. She handed a couple of bills over to Catra who took it, counting out Adora’s change and handing it to her in less than five seconds. She’d gotten good at this, Adora noticed. “It’ll be about five to ten minutes.”

“Thank you…” Adora responded, stepping out of the way to let someone else order. She remember to start breathing again once she was finally out of Catra’s sight.

The shock was something that had woken her up more than any coffee ever could. Catra was so close by her own apartment now, and meeting her in the mornings might become a frequent thing. Adora thought that was a good thing, but at the same time, she didn’t want to make anything weird between her and Catra.

Adora sat near the window as she glanced at Catra, still taking coffee orders from customers. It was odd seeing Catra so chatty, but at the same time, it was a part of the job. Adora watched the cars go by, looking at the grey clouds above and the wet roads. She wondered what it would be like to sit with Catra here.

The café was the first place she went to for lunch after moving into her studio apartment, and she had come here almost every weekend. The soft music that played, the sound of conversation and workers, the windows to the outside world… Adora was looking forward to taking her study here. It was almost like a dream come true.

It was an easy distance from the apartment too. It was open late, and the quieter it got, the more beautiful it was. Especially at night. Adora wondered if Catra worked any night shifts. It would get lonely, especially considering the low amount of customers at night. Adora wondered if it would be too much to come visit on Catra’s night shift.

She glanced at Catra again. Adora’s mind was at war with itself. On the one hand, she knew thinking about Catra this much was wrong. She felt like she went too far in lot of places, and always felt the need to apologise to Catra. But on the other hand, Catra became more intriguing by the second. Adora felt like she could talk to her for hours and never get bored.

Adora had no idea how to describe this feeling. It felt so wrong, but at the same time, it felt like she couldn’t stop it. She was glad to be friends with Catra. But she had no clue how Catra felt for real. Was Catra still settling into this new life? Has she even seen Shadow Weaver this week? Did she ever go home? Adora wouldn’t blame her for running away, but she still went to school every day.

Catra truly was a mystery. Adora wanted to investigate her, but her moral compass told her people aren’t cases to solve. Catra had a private life. Adora knew she needed to settle down, and stop this overthinking. Catra was a friend.

A friend was nice to have, even if you didn’t know absolutely everything about them.

Adora glanced at other people in the room, and wondered what their stories were too. What their daily plans were for the day, and how they were feeling at the moment. Were they going through a hard time? Did they have any friends to turn to?

Even the people driving past the café in cars had a story. Where did they come from? Where are they going? Adora only saw these people for half a second and yet, they had whole lives to get to. Family or friends.

Adora always found herself distracted at this café.

“Order for Adora!” Catra suddenly yelled out, bringing Adora’s attention to herself. Catra had three coffee cups and a paper bag on the counter as Adora stood up.

“Thanks,” Adora said as she grabbed her order. She wondered if she should say something to Catra. Would that be too weird? Is Catra one of those people that didn’t want to talk to classmates outside of school? Was Catra okay?

Adora didn’t ask anything as she started to walk away. Before she left the door, she heard Catra speak in quite a loud voice. “Hey, I’m taking my break. Someone cover for me, please.”

Adora stopped as she saw Catra leave the counter, someone quickly replacing her as she went over to the same booth Adora was just at. She stared directly at Adora, as if trying to send a message. The loud announcement of a break and sitting in her seat were signs even Adora wouldn’t miss as she walked back and sat opposite Catra at the booth. “Nice to see you here," Catra greeted.

“You too,” Adora smiled, trying to calm her heart as Catra rested her elbow on the table and put her chin on her own hand, looking at Adora. In that moment, Adora noticed soft bags under Catra’s eyes. She hadn’t been getting enough sleep. Adora wanted to ask, but like usual, she knew it was too personal. “I… didn’t know you worked here.”

“I only got the job on Monday, actually. Do you live close by or something?” Catra asked. Adora put her hands on the table, relaxing in her seat. Bow and Glimmer wouldn’t mind waiting a little while.

“Yeah,” Adora pointed behind herself down the street. “See that large apartment building? I got a room right on the fifth floor. Studio flat and all.”

Catra’s eyes widened upon hearing this, and her hands dropped on the table. “You live by yourself?! That’s so awesome!” Catra spoke with genuine excitement and Adora chuckled, scratching the back of her head.

“Yeah, it’s small but… it’s nice and comfy. I had to save up for ages to get it though,” Adora explained as Catra listened with clear enthusiasm. It was almost like there was sparkles in her eyes. Adora found her cute.

“Well… That’s why I’m here, actually. Hoping to save up enough to move out, too,” Catra explained. Adora’s mind raced as she heard this. Another point about running away from home. “Hey, maybe we can be roommates or something,” Catra joked.

Adora laughed. “Yeah…” She said, but seriously considered it for a few seconds. Catra as a roommate…

“Listen…” Catra spoke suddenly, rubbing her thumbs together as she broke eye contact with Adora. “I… I know you’re probably wondering what’s going on. With me and Shadow Weaver and my home and all… I know I haven’t exactly been talkative.”

Shit. Was Adora being too obvious? She wondered if she was being too much on Catra, and almost felt like apologizing. “I promise it’s not just you,” Catra explained, “I suck at talking in general with… a lot of people. But… I just need this money and I need to get out of that house, and… that’s about all I’m comfortable with saying. I really don’t like talking about home… Mostly because I don’t want to involve you or anything. So… if you were wondering about that, well… sorry for leaving you in the dark.”

“No, it’s fine!” Adora responded almost instantly. She felt terrible about all the thinking she’d been doing about Catra’s home life, treating her like a detective would. “Catra, you can say whatever you want to say. If you don’t feel comfortable talking about home, then that’s your choice. No one has any right to force you to talk or… do anything.”

Catra nodded, but her eyes look absent. Like she was focusing on something else upon hearing Adora’s words. “… No one has the right to force me to do anything, huh?” Catra asked, and Adora nodded. Catra’s throat filled with words she wanted to say, but she kept them down and looked at her hands. “Thanks, Adora.”

Adora noticed how Catra shrunk at her words, and she began to wonder if she said something wrong. The bags under Catra’s eyes were getting to her, and she tried to look for some way to help. “Hey…” Adora spoke, and she suddenly pushed her own coffee cup towards Catra. “Here. I know you made it yourself and all but… I think you might need it.”

Catra stared at the coffee in Adora’s hand. “I can’t take that… You paid for it.”

“I insist,” Adora says sternly. “I want to look after my friend, alright? In case you’re feeling tired.”

Catra looked at Adora, and then at the coffee cup in her hand. Slowly, Catra reached out to accept it. “Thanks…” Catra said as she grabbed the coffee cup.

And at the same time, put her hand over Adora’s.

Both the girls felt a spark all of a sudden as their hands touched. It was a complete accident on Catra’s part, but both their eyes widened and they nearly dropped the coffee. Adora couldn’t help but notice the warmth of Catra’s hand on her own. Catra noticed how ice cold Adora’s hand was.

Catra took the cup and didn’t dare to look into Adora’s eyes, nor did they even want to mention it. Both of their faces went red as Adora slowly stood up and Catra took a sip from the coffee cup. “Well… I’ll see you around?” Adora asked.

“Yeah! Yeah, for… for sure…” Catra returned, taking another panicked sip and only glancing at Adora as she walked away. Once Adora left the coffee shop, both girls buried their faces in their hands and let out a panicked sigh.

Adora could still feel the tingles that came off Catra’s hand touching her own. The warmth seemed to fill her entire body and she had never felt this good in a long time. It was an accident, but she definitely wasn’t going to forget it any time soon.

Adora was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with her.

* * *

Adora noticed someone was watching her training session for track.

A few weeks had passed since that day at the café. The school had been loading up the academic pressure for the senior years, so Adora found herself sticking to her study schedule more than usual. Less time at the gym and café meant less time to see Catra, unfortunately.

It did not cross Adora that she was seriously weighing up between actual study for her future, or seeing a girl she had only known for a few weeks.

This time of study, however, was also plagued by other thoughts in Adora’s mind. Namely, the feelings of love.

Adora had never been in love before. She never found someone she felt that strong connection with, and she didn’t even know what her type was. Up until recently, relationships were the furthest thing from Adora’s mind. She never thought about a future with anyone.

But now, she was confused. These feelings that flooded her were something that she never considered. She’d never experienced anything like this before. She’s never felt this way about a person like she did with Catra. It was what kept her up at night sometimes.

Adora didn’t want to call it love, because she didn’t even know what love was in the first place. Was it just obsession? Curiosity? It drove Adora crazy thinking about it, and the more she thought about it, the more confusing it got.

Being friends is enough, Adora decided. There’s nothing more to it.

As Adora finished her last lap on the track, she glanced over to the fence on the edge of the field and finally spotted her single spectator.

It was Catra.

Adora panted from the exercise, and was thankful for her face already being red from the running, because Catra’s presence definitely embarrassed her. She was getting used to having Catra around, but it still surprised her every now and then to see those different colored eyes.

As group training broke off, Adora walked over to Catra, taking a sip out of her water bottle. “Hey Adora,” Catra smirked, keeping her eyes locked onto Adora’s. Adora smiled as she wiped her own mouth.

“You thinking of joining the track club or something?” Adora responded as she leaned against the fence, while Catra put her arms over the fence next to Adora.

“Pfft, nah. I just came to see how my friend was doing. The 800 metre race is this weekend, isn’t it?” Catra asked.

“Yeah. This was my last training session before the big day,” Adora replied. “Not gonna lie… I feel kinda terrified.”

“Why’s that?” Catra asked as the two girls stood side by side, on opposite sides of the fence, watching the sun set in the distance as it basked the world in deep orange.

“Well, I’ve never come first place in any of my events before. This is the last year I have that chance, so… I’m really working hard,” Adora explained, taking another drink. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous about it. It’s just a small competition.”

“It clearly means a lot to you, though. Nothing to be embarrassed about,” Catra said as she watched the sun. Adora smiles at her.

“You’re the first person to not make fun of me for my competitive nature,” Adora pointed out. Catra looked to Adora, and saw that her words were genuine.

“I guess it helps that I don’t have to compete against you for anything…” Catra scratched the back of her neck. “I don’t know… I guess I kinda admire how focused you are on a goal. You want something and you just… take it. You wanted to move out and you did. You want to win this, and I bet you will. I… wish I was as strong willed as you.”

Adora saw Catra’s eyes wonder off as she spoke. “Well… sometimes I just don’t know when to quit," Adora admitted. "Plus, you don’t need to have your whole life figured out, Catra. I’m just really lucky. You had to move schools in your last year. I… can’t imagine what it’s been like for you.”

Catra scoffed. “Moving schools was the easy part,” she spoke.

Adora almost wanted to hold Catra’s hand. She really had no clue of the struggles Catra was going through, but more than anything, she wanted to be there for her. But before she could do anything, Catra tapped Adora on the arm in a supportive matter. “Hey, I was just here to wish you luck with this weekend. I know you’ll kill it.”

Adora smiled at Catra’s support. “Thanks… That means a lot. Maybe you can join Bow in my cheerleader squad.”

“Yeah, in your dreams,” Catra instantly denied, and both girls let out a laugh at the thought of Catra in a cheerleader outfit. Though, Adora couldn’t bring herself to admit that it would look incredibly cute. “See you around?”

“Always,” Adora replied. Both girls stared at each other as the orange sun beamed on them, and Adora loved the way the orange hue brought out the color in Catra’s eyes. They were so incredibly easy to get lost in.

As Catra left, Adora went to the change rooms and the butterflies in her stomach grew. She had never felt this excited about the 800 metre race before, and it was mostly thanks to Catra’s support.

Adora was slowly coming to accept that Catra would occupy a space of her mind for quite some time.

* * *

The night before the race was a night of anxiety.

Adora sat on her bed in her studio apartment, scrolling through her messages. Both Glimmer and Bow had sent their usual good luck for Adora at the race tomorrow, as well as a few other people from Adora’s track club.

It was the last race before the end. After tomorrow, track was over. Adora’s last chance to be first in something in her life. An accomplishment to be proud of.

At the same time, she wondered if Catra would be there to watch. Maybe she’d cheer her on. Just the very thought made Adora’s stomach flutter. It brought a smile to her face just thinking about it. Catra in the crowd, cheering her name on…

Adora smiled whenever she thought about Catra now. It was three in the morning, and sleep was unlikely tonight. It didn’t matter a whole bunch to Adora, though. She was used to these late nights. She read through the encouraging messages again and again, and remember Catra’s support over and over.

Adora let out a sigh. Life was feeling good, if a bit scary. She still felt unsure about herself, and the future that lie ahead of her. But she felt a growing attachment to Catra and almost felt sure it was being returned.

The way Catra smiled upon seeing her filled Adora’s heart with pure joy.

That joy would hopefully carry Adora over the finish line tomorrow.

* * *

When Adora scanned the crowd, she didn’t see those familiar different colored eyes or long, bushy hair. 

It shouldn’t have bothered her as much as it did. Catra had a shift at the café after all, so Adora should’ve expected this. She kept telling herself everything was fine and there was nothing to really worry about. She was sure Catra wanted to be there.

Still. It was like there was an empty gap in Adora’s mentality. And it was something she needed to get over soon as the race started in a minute.

Adora stood in her lane, jumping on the spot as she took deep breaths in through her nose, and out through her mouth, slowly calming herself as her fellow competitors stretched or did whatever they needed to do to prepare. A large crowd was in the stands, including Bow, who was holding a pair of red pom-poms, Glimmer, who was waving a small flag with Adora’s name on it, and Double Trouble, who held up a small sign with Adora’s face on it surrounded by a love heart.

It was Adora’s own personal fan club.

Adora felt like her heart was going to pound out of her chest. It was beating so heavily that it felt like it weighed five times its size. No matter what breathing techniques Adora did, she felt her hands shake slightly as adrenaline rushed through her nerves.

Adora settled on using that adrenaline to push her forward as she looked ahead. 800 metres consisted of two full laps around the entire track, a middle-distance run. It was a case of conserving energy for the last lap, and spending it evenly all throughout.

Adora had a strategy in mind, but her other competitors were as fierce as her. This was definitely going to be difficult, and it was going to be even more difficult if she kept thinking about Catra absence the entire time.

The runners slowly stood still as the referee raised the blank gun in the air. “On your marks.”

Adora took in a deep breath and prepared herself, getting into the stance she had always gotten into for the last few years. This was it. This was the final chance to go. She had her cheer squad, and she had the motivation.

The gun went off, and the race started.

Adora got a good start right off the bat, leaping into a nice stride alongside her competitors. They all made an effort to pass each other right off the bat, and Adora did the same. The first 100 metres were incredibly important in her eyes as she made long strides, just like she practiced.

Adora wasn’t too far behind first place, but she definitely knew she had to catch up soon. She made a risk and pushed herself slightly to at least cross into second place as the crowd cheered on. The first half of the first lap was going well.

She was a few steps behind first place, but they weren’t slowing down. As Adora entered the second and final lap, she began to feel that slight sense of panic. This person in front of her was seriously good, and Adora felt extremely outmatched.

This happened every time. Adora’s mentality dictated her result, and she slowly started to picture herself disappointing Bow, Glimmer, Double Trouble and Catra. After trying to build herself up for so long, she didn’t want to settle for second.

The exhaustion began to get to her on the second half of the last lap. She was taking too many risks and spending her energy way too fast, and her body slowly lost the adrenaline it had been building all day. The runner ahead kept their strides well, and Adora began to pant loudly.

Not again, Adora thought. She wasn’t going for second best again. This was the goal she needed to stride for, and this was something she knew she needed to do. No matter what, she had to get in front.

But the thought was getting less and less real. There was almost no feasible way to make it further and beat first place. Adora rounded the last stretch and into the final 100 metres as the crowd grew louder and louder. Adora felt a hole beginning to form in her stomach as she tried to sprint.

It was beginning to look like hope was lost. Adora saw first place get further and further away. All of these years with nothing to show.

“KEEP GOING, ADORA!”

A voice louder than any other screamed from the crowd, and the world felt like it was in slow motion. That wasn’t Bow, and that certainly wasn’t Double Trouble. Adora turned her eyes towards the crowd, and saw someone stand out from the rest.

It was Catra.

She was screaming her lungs out in support of Adora, so much so that the rest of the crowd seemed as silent as ants in comparison to her. Catra didn’t give a damn what anyone else thought of her. All that mattered in this moment was cheering on Adora.

The sight of Catra filled Adora with the same joy she always felt upon seeing her. She felt that rush in her nerves again, and her legs starting going faster and faster.

Suddenly, she was closing the gap.

Adora sprinted, ignoring her body and focusing on the passion coming from Catra. “COME ON, ADORA! GO! GO!” Catra screamed louder and louder, and Adora followed those exact orders. She didn’t even feel the aching in her legs or the dryness of her throat.

Adora sprinted faster than she had ever sprinted in her entire life. She closed the gap further and further, and like she practiced, she leapt towards the finish line, trying to get at least a foot ahead of first place.

Adora crossed the finish line, stumbling and nearly falling over. She locked her eyes with the referee to see the judgement, for she had no idea if that final leap was enough to win it. “Results are in!” The referee said as the rest of the runners crossed the line not far behind Adora.

“Our first place is Adora!”

Adora’s eyes widened upon hearing those fateful words, and she could hear Catra scream in excitement in the distance, the girl tilting her head back and practically howling with support as Adora felt tears fill her eyes. Before anything else, she went over to the person who was ahead of her the whole race and shook their hand frantically, trying to spill some words of gratitude.

That was interrupted as Adora felt Glimmer’s arms wrap around her and tackle Adora to the ground, followed by Bow’s, and then by Double Trouble’s. The group hug she had been waiting for as they all piled on top of the laughing Adora.

The joy made her head spin with glee. It almost felt too much as her cheer squad rubbed her head and muddled worlds of congratulations. It took a while for them to let Adora up, and when she did, she saw Catra standing by the fence with a smile on her face.

Adora approached Catra, panting from the excitement and the race. “See? I told you that you’d kill it,” Catra grinned, and Adora laughed in response.

“I so want to hug you right now,” Adora let out in between pants, and not a second passed before Catra threw her arms around Adora’s shoulders, holding the girl tight.

Adora felt like she could die happy as she almost instantly returned the hug. She spun and lifted Catra in the air as she hugged the girl, not even caring what anyone else thought. All that mattered to her was Catra’s embrace, and the victory acquired on that day.

Catra’s laughter was like music to Adora’s ears. She could listen to it for hours on end and never grow tired. It filled her with even more joy when she didn’t know that was possible.

The first hug shared between Adora and Catra was probably the best hug Adora had ever had in her entire life, and she almost never wanted to let go.

However, all good things must come to an end, and Adora slowly put Catra down on her feet. Catra smiled up at Adora. “Thank you so much…” Adora said to Catra amidst all the cheers.

“Hey, I like helping my friends. Besides, that was all you and your thunder thighs,” Catra smirked, and Adora chuckled, shaking her head. “Congrats, Adora. You earned this.”

Among that crowd, and the chaos around them, Adora and Catra stared at each other and smiled. A smile of happiness, respect, kindness, and friendship. Adora almost wanted to hug Catra again, but the awards ceremony took her away.

But the memory of this victory, and Catra screaming her name in support, would never be taken from Adora.

* * *

Adora smiled at the medal on her desk. First place, dead and centre on the desk, with a suitable trophy right next to it. It was her achievement, but it was also thanks to her friends, and the support she had along the way.

It was also mostly thanks to Catra.

Catra’s smile, her laugh, her cheers… They still rang in Adora’s ears, even at seven o’clock at night. The world was darkness outside as Adora left her trophy and medal in place and sat on her bed, checking her phone.

Dozens of notifications, most of them with similar expressions of congratulations and compliments. Each and every one made Adora smile, and yet, it was Catra’s words from earlier today that gave Adora the most warmth.

It was also that moment that Adora realized there was something more to all of this. This wasn’t just a simple friendship. Adora had plenty of friends to know what that felt like. This was different.

Adora opened her messages and specifically opened her chat with Double Trouble.

 **DTpride55:** Congrats, darling! You were absolutely spectacular out there and you earned every right to be ecstatic today. Though, if you’ve got a few minutes, I want to ask you something, doll.

Adora raised an eyebrow. Double Trouble wanted to talk? Adora laid on the bed and typed her response.

 **Adorablyscary33:** Thanks so much, DT! I really appreciate it! What did you want to ask about?

Double Trouble read Adora’s message in less than a minute, and typed out their response.

 **DTpride55:** Well, I don’t mean to pry, but you and Catra seemed awfully close after that victory, and it just got me thinking if there was something going on there?

Adora put her hand against her face and sighed. Someone was definitely going to assume something upon seeing their hug, and of course it had to be Double Trouble. Adora typed out her immediate response.

 **Adorablyscary33:** Haha, no, no, nothing going on, DT. We're just some really good friends and that’s all.

Adora went to send that message, but she stopped herself. Her thumb hovered over the send button, but she couldn’t bring herself to tap it.

That wasn’t the truth. Not entirely.

Adora deleted the message, and hesitated for a few moments. Double Trouble was completely trustworthy. Confidentiality was important to them, and they would never go around spreading rumors about Adora and Catra. Adora nodded, putting her faith in Double Trouble and typing out a replacement message.

 **Adorablyscary33:** Honestly… We’re just friends at the moment, but I’m really confused, DT. Confused about my feelings and my relationship with her. Every time I see her it’s just… warmth. Like I could just go on and be happy for the rest of my life. I’ve never felt that way about a person.

Adora sent the message after reviewing it, and Double Trouble took a while to look over the message. After about half a minute, they typed out a response.

 **DTpride55:** Oh, doll… I’m sorry you’re in such a confused state. I get what you’re saying, don’t worry. It’s good to talk about these things.

Adora smiled upon seeing Double Trouble’s response. No wonder they ran a club solely dedicated towards heart-to-hearts. Adora felt a complete sense of trust in them, so much so that it got her thinking. Adora pondered a decision for a few moments, before typing out a question.

 **Adorablyscary33:** Hey, DT… Sorry if this is sudden, but I’m wondering if you would be okay with letting me join the Pride Club? I feel like you all might be able to help me untie this weird knot of feelings I have… And maybe me talking about it with a group of people might clear things up. I’m confused about a lot of things… and I think my sexuality is one of them.

Double Trouble viewed the message. The response was almost immediate.

 **DTpride55:** You’re always welcome, darling.

Along with that message, Double Trouble sent an emoji of a pride flag.


	4. Pride Club

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, your support inspires me, and I am having so much fun writing this. Thank you so, so much, everyone. <3

When the final bell rung for that Wednesday, Adora felt oddly nervous.

After being accepted by Double Trouble into the Pride Club, Adora was still unsure about how it would all turn out. It was so late into this first semester, with the winter break being in just a few weeks. Surely it was too late for new introductions?

But even then, Adora hadn’t been met with any resistance so far. She wasn’t sure how any of this would pan out in the long run, whether she’d be at the Pride Club for the long run or if this was going to be the one time.

Catra was there. That was also something on Adora’s mind. She would really be opening up to someone she cared deeply about, and that may change Catra’s perspective on her. It may taint things.

It’s not like she was going to be forced to open up. Adora knew she was overthinking, but it was a habit she had developed that was unfortunately hard to get rid of. She grabbed her bag and headed towards the club room as the rest of the school dismissed.

When Adora stepped outside, she saw snow for the first time that year.

It seemed to have just started falling and was softly coating the grass before her. Not quite enough to do much in yet, but a fair amount that felt almost comfortable to be in. Adora held out a hand and caught a little spec of snow, only to watch it melt in her hand.

Other students had noticed too, as they all looked up at the sky and started talking about plans for the winter break and nearby places to snowboard. Adora hadn’t gone on a winter holiday in a while. She wondered if she could plan something with Glimmer, Bow, Double Trouble and Catra.

Adora walked down the other end of the school and looked to the horizon to see the track field speckled with snow as well. It would be almost impossible to run on now, but that was the same track she won her first race only four days ago. The memory still very fresh in her mind, as the medal and trophy still sit on the desk in her apartment.

Catra and Adora had started talking more since then, especially during literature. Catra seemed most comfortable around Adora, and the feeling was mutual on Adora’s part. Adora shook her head, wondering why she was worrying about opening up to Catra. That girl could never judge her.

Adora finally came across the rainbow filled room and saw a few people already inside. She went to put her hand on the door handle, and found that it was shaking. Adora wasn’t sure why. Was it the cold? Nervousness? Anxiety?

For some reason, she felt like running away to another country. Her anxiety was slowly rising like a slug in her throat at the thought of this. It looked like such a nice space, and Adora felt like she was barging in on something really special.

Adora slowly took her hand away and went to leave. Her heart was racing and pounding in her chest, and she knew it would be better to find some excuse and just leave. Not ruin something so special.

Then she saw Catra.

Catra was merely setting up chairs and putting out odd snacks on the table. It seemed like a usual routine thing for her to do, but Adora felt an almost immediate sense of comfort upon seeing her. Like the future was bright and okay with her in it.

If nothing else, Adora had people she could trust in this very room. Catra, Bow and Double Trouble. They would all be there for her, no matter how confusing this journey was, and even if it ended at nowhere. Adora had to remind herself that Double Trouble invited her.

She was wanted there. Adora was wanted somewhere, and that brought about a great sense of comfort.

Her hand rested on the door handle, and she entered the Pride Club for the first time.

The first to notice was Catra, who glanced at Adora and almost immediately smiled. “Hey Adora,” Catra said in her usual tone of teasing. “Double Trouble said you’d be here. They were so excited to introduce you to everyone if you were cool with it.”

Adora looked around the room and saw Bow as well, who gave a great big wave. “Look who decided to join us!” Bow cheered, which prompted Double Trouble to finally peer out of the closet.

“Oh, there you are, darling! I was just adding your name to the hall of fame!” Double Trouble said as Adora went over to them, revealing that in the closet was a rather large list of previous members of the Pride Club. Some names were familiar, most weren’t.

“We’ve had this club going for about six years now. It was started by Spinnerella and Netossa, those gorgeous girls,” Double Trouble explained, beaming at the list of names surrounded by rainbows. “After they graduated, they handed the reigns to me and I’ve been the student president of this club going on three years now. Though, I’m going to have to find someone to head it after I’m gone…”

“I’m sure someone will volunteer. You’re pretty good at convincing people,” Adora complimented, to which Double Trouble put a hand over their heart.

“You’re a doll,” they smiled.

“So, is there a teacher behind this class at all? I always thought there had to be one staff member that supervised it,” Adora asked, and her answer walked straight through the door almost immediately after she asked it.

“Sorry! I’m sorry I’m late!” A familiar voice sounded, and Adora looked to find Castaspella, her homeroom teacher, entering the room. “I heard we had a new member and I rushed over as soon as I could!”

Adora felt a small sense of shock upon seeing Castaspella walk in. “I didn’t know you were the staff behind the Pride Club,” Adora said, slowly getting over that surprise. Castaspella gasped upon seeing Adora in the room.

“Oh, Adora! Hello there, it’s so nice to see you here!” Castaspella smiled. “Truthfully, I usually let Double Trouble handle things here since they’re so reliable, but I just had to see our newest member! You… are joining us, right? Or did I jump the gun?”

Adora chuckled, scratching the back of her head. “Truth be told, I’m… still deciding. But I’m liking the vibes so far!”

“Oh, I just bask this room in so much queer vibes, don’t I?” Double Trouble said as they exited the closet. “I think it’s time to start everyone! We have a new member joining us!”

“I promise I won’t be a nuisance. You’ll barely notice I’m here,” Castaspella said to Adora, who chuckled in return.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind,” Adora replied as she took a seat in between Bow and Catra. Adora peered over to Catra, and the two girls shared a soft smile. Adora turned to Bow and was met with a beaming grin. It gave a sense of comfort that Adora had familiarity to rely on.

“Now, Adora, do you want to introduce yourself first, or should we introduce some of the people you may not know?” Double Trouble asked. Adora peered at the seats and truthfully, there were only two people that were a mystery to her.

“I’d… like to get to know these two first, if that’s okay. I know pretty much everyone else,” Adora responded, and Double Trouble nodded. The first to speak was a girl with tan skin, brown eyes, freckles, and wavy blonde hair. She had a flower in her ear and seemed to radiate sunshine.

“It is so lovely to meet you!” She spoke. “My name is Perfuma, I use she/her pronouns and I am a lesbian. Truth be told, I mostly joined this group because it was so bright and wonderful, but everyone here was just so lovely that it almost felt like an added bonus! I’ve added most of the decorations you see here,” Perfuma gestured across the room to most of the rainbow flags and flowers scattered around.

“They’re beautiful, Perfuma,” Adora smiled as she looked around the room.

“Oh, that reminds me!” Perfuma suddenly exclaimed, going over to one of the vases in the room and grabbing out a single red rose, before rushing to Adora and handing it to her. “I gave one to Catra when she joined, and you shall receive the same! I can text you how to take care of it too.”

Adora’s face went red upon being offered a rose by someone she just met a minute ago, but she accepted it nonetheless. “Thank you so much, Perfuma… This means a lot,” Adora smiled.

“It’s my pleasure!” Perfuma beamed as she went to take her seat again. Adora looked at the rose in her hand, and she held it tightly as she smiled at the rest of the club. The second unknown person was almost on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, being a very muscular woman with a white colored ponytail and greenish yellow eyes.

“Hey,” she spoke, “I’m Huntara. She/her pronouns. I know I can seem a bit intimidating but I’ve been told I’m a softie at heart, so… take that for what you will.”

Adora was almost admirable of her body, and although there was that initial fear of her, it was soon replaced by a sense of security that this woman was on Adora’s side. “Oh, and I’m… lesbian too. Should probably mention that,” Huntara added on quickly as Adora chuckled.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Adora replied. “If you don’t mind my asking… do you go to the gym often? I’m wondering if I’ve seen you before.”

Huntara laughed slightly, finding a sense of recognition in Adora’s love of exercise. “Yeah, I used to, but I mostly go to a personal trainer now and do stuff like boxing and mixed martial arts. I’m more about fighting than anything,” she explained, and Adora nodded. “I hear you’re the talk of the town for being a damn good runner.”

“Oh, it was just one time…” Adora spoke humbly, but truthfully, she was screaming in joy on the inside for being recognised for her accomplishments on the weekend.

“She was so awesome!” Catra suddenly spoke up, surprising Adora as Catra practically jumped to her feet. “I mean… I mean, you should’ve seen her! She kept up with first place almost the entire time and then BAM, she made it just in the end!”

“And that was only because you decided to cheer me on!” Adora pointed out. “And might I say, you have a VERY loud voice when need be.”

“… I do?” Catra wondered, causing Adora to snort in amusement.

“I think you made everyone around you nearly go deaf. And you said you weren’t a good cheerleader,” Adora smirked.

"I wasn't cheerleading! Bow was the one with pom-poms! I was just being supportive!" Catra defended her pride.

“Alright, you two,” Double Trouble chuckled. “You can stop flirting now.”

“WE’RE NOT FLIRTING!” Both Catra and Adora said at the exact same time, before their eyes suddenly widened and they looked at each other. There was a general silence in the room, although mostly everyone was trying not to laugh as both Adora and Catra went red in the face and Catra sat down.

“Well, Adora… I think its your turn now,” Double Trouble said. “But, I must make this clear… You are under no obligation to share something you don’t feel comfortable sharing. We’re not here to force you to talk, we are simply providing a safe space if you desire to use it. We also have a strict confidentiality rule that the things said in this room remain in this room. Outing someone without consent is fucked up, and we promise we won’t do anything like that to you.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, and all of their eyes turned to Adora. Bow, Catra, Castaspella, Double Trouble, Perfuma and Huntara all waited patiently for Adora to speak, if she wanted to. They weren’t eyes of judgement, but understanding. Acceptance for whatever she may say.

Adora took a breath.

“Hi… Hi, all.” She laughed nervously. “Um… My name is Adora. My pronouns are… she/her. And I’m…” Adora was silent for a while. She stared at nothing in particular, before slowly lowering her head, almost out of shame.

“I’m… confused.”

There was no laughter. No mockery. Everyone remained silent and allowed for Adora to speak. She looked at each of them, and slowly continued. “I’ve never really thought about… love before. I mean, I’ve always been focused on study and workouts and finding a place to stay, so it just… never crossed my mind. I never thought it’d be of much importance to me.”

She sighed, trying not to glance at Catra as she spoke. “But… recently… that’s changed. Now that I’m so close to graduation, love has been filling my mind more and more. But it’s a kind of love I’ve… never thought about. I barely even know what love means, but it’s the only way to describe these… these feelings I’ve been having. A companion to be with. But… it’s just all sudden. It’s been flooding my brain and I barely know how to comprehend it.”

Adora continued. “Truthfully, my sexuality has always been… weird. I never thought about it much. People always told me I’d find a cute boyfriend, and I just laughed. But I never imagined life with a husband before. And I assumed it was because I just didn’t have time for love… But…” Adora swallowed. “Now that love is filling my mind… I still can’t imagine myself with a boyfriend. The idea of dating a man just… still seems like a weird void.”

Adora grabbed her arm. “But… when I imagine myself with a wife… It…” Adora thinks of Catra. “It sounds so nice… But I’m not sure if it’s because I like girls or if… I just meet really nice girls. Maybe I haven’t met the right guy yet or something? Maybe it's just the individual I love and not the gender? It’s so situational that I just feel like I haven’t discovered… me. If that makes… any sense.”

“I get it,” Catra instantly responded, and Adora turned her head to face her. “It’s like… you’re not sure if your attraction comes from your sexuality or just the individuals you met. Maybe you're attracted to a few women because they're women and you like women in general, or maybe they're just really cool people that happen to be women. You don't want to assume anything based off a few individuals.”

“Yes! Exactly,” Adora exclaimed. “Like… I imagine myself dating a few girls I know, and I get pretty happy thinking about that… but none of that feelings come when I’m dating any guy I know. But that might just be because of the people I met and not because of my sexuality. This is all just… so, so confusing. And it’s all struck me so recently, too. I don’t want to call myself bisexual or pansexual because… I don’t know. That just doesn’t… stick. At least not at the moment.”

Everyone was nodding. It wasn’t just faked either. It was a genuine place of understanding that everyone was coming from. “You… you all understand?” Adora asked.

“Of course, darling,” Double Trouble said. “This shit is confusing, that’s for sure. I think if I had anything to say, it’s just that there’s no time limit on figuring this stuff out. No one is expecting you to solve everything all of a sudden. This is your journey, and we’re just here to help. No one is going to judge you for being unclear. It’s just important to go with what makes you happy. Labels don’t have to be everything to you. They definitely matter to some people, but you can decide if they matter to you personally. No one can judge you for that.”

“What they said,” Bow spoke up. “It took me so long to really come to terms with myself, Adora. And absolutely no one minded how long it took, because it shouldn’t matter to anyone else how long it takes. You’re allowed to be confused about all this.”

“Don’t feel like there’s anything wrong or broken with you just because you’re discovering yourself at this age, too,” Perfuma said. “Some people might not know their full identity until well in their 30s, for example. I know most people battle with their identities in their teens but you’re not late to the contest or anything. It’s perfectly normal to question these things a bit later in life.”

“We’re here for you. I think that’s the important thing here,” Huntara said. “You got our full support… Hey, you okay?”

“Huh?” Adora asked.

“Adora, you’re… you’re crying,” Castaspella spoke softly. Adora touched her cheeks, and sure enough, tears were streaming down them. She didn’t even realize until just then, but now that she noticed, she finally understood just how emotional this all was.

“I…” Adora sniffled. “I’m sorry, it’s just… I thought you would all think I’m speaking a load of nonsense or making no sense… But… you all understand and… really care for me…” Adora choked up. “Thank you… I’m sorry I’m a mess, I just… I thought no one would ever understand.”

“Darling, don’t apologize for being emotional,” Double Trouble said as Bow slowly grabbed Adora’s hand, gently squeezing it, and Adora squeezed back. “It’s tough thinking no understands you… But I promise that we care about you, and your feelings are completely valid. And if you want to cry, then by all means. Let it all out. You’re loved, Adora. Everyone who is… confused about themselves deserves someone who loves them dearly.”

Adora tried to choke out a thank you, but all that came was sob as she relentlessly wiped her tears away. “I swear, I’ll be fine, it’s just… I had a lot of anxiety before walking in here so I’m just more relieved than anything…” Adora cleared her throat. “Come on, Adora, you big baby…” She spoke to herself.

“Hey,” Catra whispered to her. “I did this too when I came out to them. You’re not the first to cry. There’s no shame in it.”

Adora looked into Catra’s eyes as she consoled her, and she smiled, nodding. Adora’s red, stinging eyes slowly cleared of tears as she wiped them away, taking a deep breath and slowly coming down from the emotional high. “… Thank you all… so, so much… I think it helps more than anything that I’m just understood and not alone, you know?”

“It’s easy to feel alone, isn’t it? Especially for people like us… But it’s a false conception. Queer is… well, everywhere. It’s hard for a lot of people to feel accepted when they're all alone, and I want nothing more than to reach out to those people that feel totally isolated and unloved, and just… hold their hand and tell them everything will be okay,” Perfuma admitted. “It breaks my heart to think about the people that can’t be out and proud on their terms for whatever reasons beyond their control.” Everyone nodded at Perfuma’s words.

“I nominate a group hug for Adora?” Bow said, causing Adora to laugh.

“Sure, why not?” Adora beamed, and the first set of arms to wrap around her were Catra’s. Adora felt her heart race at the same embrace she felt after the race on the weekend, but she grabbed Catra’s arm and held it close as she was then hugged by Bow, Double Trouble, Perfuma, and ultimately, lifted into the air by Huntara’s strong arms.

Adora couldn’t help but laugh at feeling the most amount of love she’d ever felt. “Thank you… You know what? I think I’ll stay in this club for a while longer.”

“Oh good, because we weren’t going to let you leave anyways,” Double Trouble joked, causing the club to laugh. “We love you, Adora. We’ll always be here to help you on this journey.”

The knot was untangled slightly. Even if things were confusing for a time, Adora wasn’t completely alone anymore. She embraced the Pride Club, and was met with love and acceptance in response.

It was a nice day.

* * *

The movie concluded with the two girls confessing their love for each other and kissing in the rain.

About as cliché as one could get, but Adora couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth at the ending. It was just what those two girls deserved; a happy ending and a kiss.

After Adora arrived in her studio apartment, it began to rain outside. It was a little heavier than usual, and the rain scattered across the roof and window to create an almost relaxing mood for Adora. It had been two days since her first session with the Pride Club, and now that it was Friday afternoon, it meant movie night.

She had decided to browse for LGBTQ+ movies tonight and picked the first one that stuck out. A lesbian romantic comedy that was almost purely wholesome. It was one of the most heart-warming movies Adora had ever seen, and it really struck something within her.

She couldn’t help but imagine her and Catra in some scenes. It was almost like an instinct, no matter how hard she tried to supress it.

The credits rolled on the movie and Adora turned off the small TV to be met with a dark room, the only sounds being the heavy rain beating against the building softly. Droplets forming on the windows like always.

Things were starting to clear up bit by bit. Adora was thankful to be understood, even if some things were still confusing. But she didn’t really mind that. It was okay to be confused about some things. She remembered everyone’s words. She could take as long as she needed.

Adora went over to the door and flicked on the light switch, basking the apartment in brightness. It was around eleven o’clock at night and she wasn’t really feeling tired, so Adora picked up her phone and scrolled through social media for a bit.

The first post she saw was by Bow, a selfie he took with the Pride Club that he made sure he had permission to post with everyone beforehand. Adora was hesitant for a bit, but came to realize she felt no real shame in being associated with the Pride Club. The photo had a few dozen likes, and Adora added one more.

Adora decided to take a photo of the droplets on the window after seeing that post. The lights of the town and the stars reflected upon the droplets of rain on the window. Without that light, those droplets would be invisible.

Even droplets needed a little help in being seen.

Adora posted the picture to her social media page, giving a brief caption.

_Things are clearing up._

It was really a spur of the moment thing that was mostly for her fellow members of the Pride Club, but she also posted it to remind herself that things were slowly going to be okay. In future, she’d look back on this post and smile.

Within a minute, Adora received a notification.

**DTpride55 liked your post.**

Of course Double Trouble would be proud of that post. It was soon followed by another notification.

**DTpride55 commented on your post.**

Adora checked the comment.

 **DTpride55:** You’re a wonderful and amazing person, Adora. Take the time you need. We love you.

Adora smiled at the comment. Maybe it wouldn’t make sense to anyone else. Maybe people would think she’s looking for attention. She couldn’t care less. She had a group of people she held a special trust within, and the pressure of social norms were lifted off her shoulders. There was no rush in this journey of self-discovery.

Adora suddenly heard a knock on the front door.

At first, it frightened Adora. She rarely got visitors this late at night, so she wasn’t sure how to respond. The knocking became louder and louder, and it seemed clear that this person wasn’t going to let up.

So, Adora stood up.

She approached the door cautiously, and slowly, unlocked it and turned the door knob, opening the door slightly and peering around the corner.

Adora’s eyes widened upon seeing Catra on the other side of that door.

Catra was drenched, her clothes and hair soaked in rain. She was slightly panting, showing signs of exhaustion from running for so long from... something. She looked like a mess, and she was slightly shaking from the cold that the rain and wind seeped into her. “Catra…?” Adora spoke, wondering if she was hallucinating.

Catra ran a hand through her long, wet hair and sighed. “Can…” Catra spoke.

“Can I come in?”


	5. Waterfall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF EMOTIONAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE

Adora had to take a few seconds to process the fact that Catra was right outside her door.

She really wasn’t expecting any company over the weekend, and if anything, it was slightly embarrassing to be caught in pyjamas and with her hair down. On the other hand, it didn’t exactly look like Catra was in the best shape either. Her hair damp, her clothes soaked, and her eyes stinging red. She shivered slightly as rain water dripped off her body.

A million questions were flooding Adora’s mind, but she knew no answers would come at the moment. She stepped to the side. “Of course! Get inside, you have to be freezing,” Adora said as Catra stepped in, sighing.

“I’ll be fine,” Catra responded, but her body was still shivering. Adora shook her head, stepping in front of Catra.

“Catra… you’ll get a cold if you stay like that. Just… you can use my shower and I can get you some warm clothes,” Adora offered. Catra immediately opened her mouth to reject that idea, but Adora raised a finger. “No buts! I pride myself on looking after my friends!”

Catra knew how stubborn Adora could be when it comes to stuff like this, and she simply sighed. “Alright… thanks, Adora,” Catra replied as she stepped over to the bathroom. She closed the door, and the slight click of a lock sounded.

Adora put her face in her hands and sighed, her mind racing with a million thoughts. Of course Catra had ran away again, but why would she go to Adora’s? What happened this time to trigger this? Adora began to wonder about Catra’s home life again, and exactly what was going on that caused her to act like this. She didn’t blame Catra, but it was more a case of morbid curiosity.

Adora heard the shower begin to run in the other room. There was a door between them, which Adora was slightly thankful for. She just hoped it was enough for Catra to warm up a bit. Adora looked out the window and saw the rain falling even harder than usual, and she wondered how long Catra had been out in this weather.

It was enough to make anyone sick if they stayed out for long enough. Catra was visibly shivering when she stepped in, so Adora wondered if there was anything more she could do for the girl. She was officially hosting for Catra after all, and Adora prided herself on looking after her guests.

She began to check her cupboards and sure enough, found some powder that could be used to make a hot chocolate. She found it ironic to make this, given Catra must make a hundred of these per day working at the café, but Adora pushed that thought aside as she poured some milk into a small saucepan and turned on her stove, beginning to simmer the milk to make it hot enough.

It was basic, but Adora didn’t really care. The only thing that mattered in this point of time was looking after Catra.

Adora noticed something else on the drenched girl when she let her in: red, stinging eyes. Catra had been crying, was the assumption Adora made. She wondered what made Catra cry. Was it Shadow Weaver? The cold? The anxiety of having to knock on Adora’s door?

As much as they talked, Adora still barely knew much about Catra’s life. She had made a promise to herself that Catra’s personal life was off-limits for discussion, since Catra wasn’t even comfortable discussing it herself. But the thought was still there, and so was the concern.

As the milk started to steam, Adora added the hot chocolate powder and stirred it in, grabbing a mug at the same time. The shower was still going in the bathroom, but Adora couldn’t hear any other noise from Catra. Which was a good thing, Adora assumed.

Adora poured the hot chocolate into a mug and left it to cool as she went to pick out a few clothes from her drawers. Considering the state Catra was in, Adora made an effort to get the comfiest clothes she could find. What resulted were baggy grey sweatpants, a long top and a black hoodie. It wasn’t the prettiest looking thing, but Catra was never much concerned for fashion.

Adora also picked out a pair of fluffy socks, which ironically had a pattern of cats on them. She wondered if that was accidental mockery towards Catra.

After picking out her clothes, Adora heard the shower cut as Catra stepped out. It was about a minute later when the lock unclicked, and all of a sudden, Catra stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body. She was also carrying her damp clothes from before, which Adora took and put into a basket of washing she had to take to the laundromat tomorrow.

“Your clothes are on the bed,” Adora spoke. She kept her composure, but truthfully when Catra wasn’t looking at her, Adora’s face went red at the sight of Catra in nothing but a towel.

“Thanks… Oh, uh, you probably should turn around for a bit,” Catra said as she started to change into Adora’s clothes, dropping the towel from her body. Adora nodded, standing and facing the door and not even daring to peek at Catra behind her.

She wondered what life events led to having Catra shower and change in her studio apartment. She decided that question was most likely best left unanswered as Adora rocked back and forth on the spot, trying to think about thoughts other than the fact that Catra was definitely naked right behind her.

“… Alright, you’re good now,” Catra said after about a minute, and Adora turned to find the girl dressed in those sweatpants and hoodie. “I really appreciate this, Adora… I hate barging in so late and asking for so much. It makes me feel like shit.”

“Oh, I wasn’t planning on sleeping for ages, don’t worry,” Adora responded, waving a hand in dismissal. “Oh, I made you hot chocolate! It’s… not much, but I figured you could use a little warming up.”

As Adora handed the steaming mug to Catra, she noticed Catra’s eyes widen upon seeing the mug in Adora’s hand. “… What?” Adora asked, observing Catra’s surprised expression. “Does it look bad?”

“Huh? Oh, no, no, no! It’s fine! I just…” Catra slowly took the mug in her own hand. “… This is the first time anyone’s made hot chocolate for me.”

Adora felt both a sense of pride, but also a punch in the gut at that comment. It was clear Catra was missing out a lot on the joys of life, and it was tragic to think about. She truly, truly deserved to be happy. But so many things were going against her, and they were mostly things Adora didn’t understand.

“Well… I hope you like it,” Adora chuckled as Catra took a sip. “How long were you in that rain for? I’m worried about you getting sick.”

“Well, if I did get sick, I’d have you as my nurse, right?” Catra asked in an almost joking tone, but Adora immediately nodded.

“Absolutely! I’d make you soup and read you bedtime stories and… I’m starting to sound like a mom, aren’t I?” Adora asked, and Catra laughed a little bit.

“It’s cute,” Catra smiled as she took another sip of the drink. “I was in the rain for… maybe about fifteen or twenty minutes? Honestly, I lost track of time. Everything was just a blur after…” Catra went silent. Adora allowed her to speak, but it seemed as if Catra was reserved about what made her run away. She glanced at the TV screen. “What’re you watching, anyway?”

“Oh, it’s some… lesbian movie I found while browsing. It’s cliché, but it’s sweet,” Adora responded as she took a seat on the couch, with Catra sitting next to her.

“Honestly, there needs to be more gay movies with happy endings. They’re always so tragic,” Catra commented as Adora started browsing for movies again. “I’ve always despised the ‘bury your gays’ trope. Why can’t we just live?!”

“That’s why I always try my best to find ones with happy endings, even if I end up spoiling myself. I mean, doesn’t life suck enough already? Sometimes I just want a break from everything and I just wanna see two awkward lesbians try to navigate their feelings around each other,” Adora said to Catra, to which Catra almost immediately nodded.

“Oh, speaking of, Double Trouble recommended me this movie a while back that I’ve been meaning to watch. See if it’s on here, we can watch it together,” Catra suggested. “If… you want, that is. I… feel like I’m overstaying my welcome here, if I’m honest. I mean, you’ve made me hot chocolate and all… And you even gave me cat socks.”

“Oh, you find them cute?” Adora asked, and Catra wiggled her toes in the socks.

“Absolutely. They’re like mini me’s,” Catra laughed.

“And also… Catra, I don’t mind having you around. You always bring a smile to my face just by… well, existing,” Adora complimented as Catra took a sip. Catra shook her head, chuckling.

“You make me smile too, Adora,” Catra looked to her, and the girls made eye contact. These compliments warmed their hearts as they stared at each other, and Adora was the first to break that eye contact as Catra took another sip of the hot chocolate. “Anyway, let me see if I can find that movie.”

Catra grabbed the remote and started searching as Adora stood up and walked over to the kitchen. She put more milk into the saucepan, making herself a hot chocolate as well. She took a few seconds to look at Catra as she browsed the catalogue, and smiled softly at the fact Catra felt safe at her apartment.

“Here it is!” Catra called out as Adora poured her hot chocolate in her own mug. Before she sat down, Adora turned off the light in the apartment so that the only sources of brightness were the TV and the stars outside. She also took a chance to grab a warm blanket off her own bed and bring it to the couch.

As Adora sat down, she wrapped the blanket around herself, and then threw some of the blanket towards Catra. Catra watched the blanket land in her lap, and looked at Adora. “We don’t have to share… I’m fine, Adora.”

“I’m worried how that rain affected you, Catra. Do this for me?” Adora appealed, and Catra couldn’t help but smile as she snuggled into the blanket as well.

Both girls sat on the couch together, hot chocolate in hand and sharing the same blanket. They sat close together, their bodies close to touching but not quite as Catra hit play on the movie. “I think you’re gonna like this one. Double Trouble usually has the best recommendations. They’re super reliable.”

“Honestly…” Adora sighed. “I could watch any movie with you and have a good time,” Adora admitted.

Catra wasn’t sure how to respond for a few seconds. It was enough time for Adora to realize what she just said was incredibly flirtatious. “Sorry, was that too much?” Adora asked, turning to Catra, who instantly shook her head.

“I’m just… surprised when people say nice things to me. I can’t help it, really. It… feels bizarre that anyone would like anything about me,” Catra admitted as the movie began to play. Adora had a look of concern as she stared at Catra.

“… I don’t get it,” Adora said. “You are… one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. Like… I could spend ages talking to you and just feel so happy. You light up a room whenever you walk in. The mere thought of anyone doing anything horrible to you… It breaks my heart. You don’t deserve that.”

Adora didn’t even care if what she said sounded flirtatious at this point. She just wanted to make Catra feel warm, both in body and spirit. Adora remembered those feelings of love that poured in from the Pride Club, and she wanted to return the favour. Catra looked to Adora, and even in the dark, Adora noticed Catra’s bottom lip wobbling slightly.

“You really mean that?” Catra asked in a hoarse whisper.

“Every single word.”

The two girls stared at each other in the dark as Adora whispered back to her. Catra took a few moments to compose herself, taking a sip of her hot chocolate and clearing her throat, trying to choke back the sudden rush of emotion Adora brought about. “So… what do you think of her?” Catra suddenly asked, referring to the girl that just appeared in the movie, one of the lead characters.

Adora noticed Catra changing the subject. She respected why. Catra maybe didn’t want to feel so vulnerable. “I think she’s cute,” Adora responded.

“I’d date her,” Catra commented. “I’d date her like… right now. With consent, of course.”

“Gotta have consent,” Adora nodded.

“Consensual dates are the best,” Catra took a sip of her hot chocolate.

“Because a date without consent is like…” Adora pondered for a few seconds. “I think it’s kidnapping?”

Catra thought for a few seconds, before turning to Adora. “Is kidnapping the right word?”

“I think it’s the right word,” Adora shrugged.

Both girls looked at each other with serious faces for a few seconds, before Catra’s lips curled into a smile and they both burst out laughing. “We are such idiots,” Catra laughed, sighing with joy.

“But we’re proud of it, right?” Adora asked.

“Oh, totally. Cutest bunch of idiots around,” Catra smirked and Adora chuckled.

The girls sat together on that couch, hot chocolate in hand and blanket around their bodies as they watched that movie. It was the warmest experience of Adora’s life.

For Catra, it was the most safe she had felt in years.

* * *

As the credits rolled on the movie, Adora noticed it was two in the morning when Catra stretched her arms above her head. “Well…” Catra yawned. “What’d you think of that?”

“Oh, it was adorable. Double Trouble really does have the best recommendations, huh?” Adora asked as she picked up the empty mugs from the desk in front of them and took them to the kitchen to wash them. “Are they some movie buff?”

“More like queer movie buff,” Catra corrected as she stood up, turning the light in the apartment on and running a hand through her hair. “So… I guess I shouldn’t stick around for much longer, huh?”

Adora almost dropped the mug upon hearing those words. The rain outside had not let up, and she stared at Catra like she had a third eye. “You’re gonna go back out there?!” Adora asked.

“Well… I can’t stay the night, can’t I? I mean, that’d just be annoying to you…” Catra shrugged, and Adora shook her head vigorously.

“Catra, you are more than welcome to stay here for as long as you like. I am not going to kick you out, especially when the weather is as bad as that,” Adora gestured to the rain outside. “Besides… I can’t… I can’t let you go back to that house when it upsets you so much.”

Upon saying those words, Catra’s eyes darkened and Adora felt a chill go down her spine as, for the first time that night, Catra frowned. “Who says that house upsets me?”

“… It was an assumption,” Adora admits. “But… when you got here, your eyes looked red, so… I assumed you were… crying,” Adora confessed her thoughts as Catra almost glared at her. However, she soon softened up, and instead sighed, running a hand through her hair.

“… Adora, I…” Catra struggled with what to say for a few seconds, before running her hands over her face. “You’re right. The house does upset me. I really, really, really don’t want to go back home.”

Adora finished washing the mugs, and went back over to the couch, sitting on it as she listened to Catra. “I’m not going to ask why, if you don’t want to say it. I… think I already understand why you don’t like the house, though. I only met Shadow Weaver once and she… she scared me. If I’m honest.”

Catra hesitated to say or do anything as she looked at Adora. She slowly sat down on the couch next to Adora, trying to find any basic words to form sentences. “She… Shadow Weaver adopted me when no one else would. I’m… supposed to owe a debt to her because of that. Or at least, that’s what she says. Without her, I would be on the streets or… maybe even dead.”

Adora listened to Catra, and simply allowed her to say whatever she felt comfortable with saying. “But… She… Look, Adora, she doesn’t hit me. She barely lays her hands on me. This isn’t some messed up thing where I’m being beaten every night, alright?” Catra said in an almost defensive tone.

Adora nodded, but slowly, she spoke.

“… But she still hurts you. Doesn’t she?”

Catra frowned for a few seconds. She swallowed, and rapidly blinked as she stared at the wall. “She…” Catra sighed. “She doesn’t hit me, but…” Catra swallowed again, and her bottom lip began to wobble as her throat tightened. “The things… the things she says to me… The… the way she… treats me… I…” Catra’s sigh came out in shudders as she squeezed her own hands together.

Adora could only watch.

“I mean, sometimes she just… insults me because I made a mistake. Like… parents scold their kids, don’t they?” Catra asked. “I mean, really, it’s my fault she gets so mad sometimes… But… then she just calls me worthless… wishes that she left me to die… Sometimes she even locks me in the house for days and…” Catra shuddered, and eventually, the first tear streamed from her eye down her cheek. “It’s my fault, really… I should… I should learn to be a better kid to her… learn to… treat her better, but… I don’t get why she yells at me sometimes… I don’t get why she insults me so much…”

More tears silently broke free. “Why does she… she hate me so much, Adora? Am I… am I that far gone and that fucked up that no parent could love me? It’s always my fault, always my fault, but… I try…” Catra sobbed. “I try so… so fucking hard… to get some scrap of love or appreciation from her… I just want her to tell me she loves me, just once. I mean, isn’t that what a mother is supposed to do? Aren’t they supposed to love their child even when they make mistakes?”

Catra gritted her teeth. “Why doesn’t she love me, Adora? Why does she get so mad all the time? And after that fight at school last year, and after I got expelled, I was… I was so, so scared… I’d disappointed her so much and she… she was so mad… But I was just so angry with everything and I didn’t have anyone to talk to… Is it my fault I got so upset? I…”

Catra looked directly into Adora’s eyes. “Why does my own mother… despise my existence so much? Is it… is it my fault? Am I not good enough?”

Adora’s eyes were wide. She honestly, for the first time in her entire life, was completely and utterly speechless. Catra had never been so vulnerable before as tears streamed down her cheeks, and her breath came out in shudders. 

Catra was scared of her own mother.

Adora reached out a hand, and placed it on top of Catra’s. Catra slowly interlocked her fingers with Adora’s, and held her hand close. Adora took a few minutes, but finally, she had a few words.

“It is… not your fault, Catra. It shouldn’t matter how many mistakes you make. You’re not a bad person. She has… no right to treat you that way. Catra,” Adora squeezed Catra’s hand tightly, and made sure she was listening. “It’s not your fault. It is NOT your fault. Catra…” Adora pondered for a few seconds, before shaking her head and looking into Catra’s eyes.

“Move in with me," Adora suddenly spoke. "We can… we can find a bigger apartment. You can stay away from that house and never have to see her again. I’ll make it my life goal to keep you safe from her,” Adora declared, grabbing both of Catra’s hand. She didn’t care that it was an on the spot decision. Adora meant every word.

Catra’s lips wobbled even more, and she choked out a few sobs, but ultimately, she took her hands away from Adora’s, and wiped her tears away. “… I… don’t need a guardian angel, Adora. And I don’t want you getting involved in all this. It would only hurt you, and I’d rather die than hurt you,” Catra responded coldly.

Adora felt her heart drop, but eventually, she nodded. “I… I’ll respect your decision, Catra. I’m not going to force you to do anything. But the offer is ALWAYS there. Okay?” Adora insisted, and Catra nodded. But she didn’t look into Adora’s eyes. “Look… at least stay the night. Please? I can’t have you running around in that rain again.”

Catra pondered for a few seconds, but eventually, she nodded. “Alright. But only tonight,” Catra said. “We should… get ready for bed, then. I guess I should take the couch…”

“No, no, you can have my bed. I’m fine with the couch. I usually pass out on it almost every night anyway,” Adora objected. Catra didn’t even bother putting up a fight, instead nodding as she stood up.

Adora had never seen Catra so sad. Maybe it was embarrassment about being that vulnerable around Adora? Or maybe it was fear that Shadow Weaver knew she opened up? Maybe Catra felt humiliated? Adora didn’t want to assume anything, however.

Catra laid down on Adora's bed and faced the window, not speaking much. Adora slowly stepped over to her and draped the blanket over her. “… Good night, Catra,” Adora whispered. Catra simply nodded in return.

Adora went over to the light switch, flicking it off and laying on the couch. She stared up at the dark ceiling.

Catra was in an extraordinarily dark place. That much was obvious, but Adora felt entirely useless at what to do. Catra didn’t want to be saved, but Adora at the very least wanted to help. She couldn’t stand by and let this happen to Catra.

But she didn’t want to overstep any boundaries. Catra would just be more upset if Adora tried to fix everything. Truthfully, Adora couldn’t fix anything. Taking Catra away from Shadow Weaver would complicate things greatly, and only make Shadow Weaver even more mad.

Adora sighed and laid on her side. She thought she could rest well knowing Catra was safe tonight, but what about tomorrow night? The next week? Adora was terrified for Catra.

But Catra had lived with this fear for years.

In the silence, with only the rain to fill the room with noise, Catra suddenly spoke up. “… Adora?”

“Hm?” Adora responded.

Catra was silent for a bit. “… can you come here, please?”

Adora stood up, going over to Catra. She was still facing the window, turned away from Adora, but she spoke. “… Can… can you… lay with me tonight? I just… I’m scared.”

Adora nodded, and didn’t even take a second to think as she slowly got in the bed with Catra. She got under the sheets as well, laying next to Catra. “Could you…” Catra whispered. “… put an arm around me, too? Just… hold me…”

Again, Adora didn’t have to think for a second as she scooted closer to Catra and laid an arm around her stomach, holding the girl close. Catra’s back against Adora’s chest. The closest they had ever been. “I’m… sorry…” Catra shuddered.

“Shh...” Adora whispered, using her other hand to slowly run her fingers through Catra’s hair. “It’s okay, Catra… it’s okay… you’re safe here.”

Catra’s body shuddered as Adora both held her close and rubbed her hair. The intimacy was obvious, but neither of them really cared about that. They needed this comfort. This closeness.

Catra let out a sob. Then another. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she sniffled. The waterfall was set loose, and they flowed freely as Catra’s throat tightened and her face scrunched up. She held Adora’s arm close to her chest and finally, began to weep.

They were horrible sounds to listen to, those sobs that escaped Catra’s very soul, but Adora let her free them. Catra’s body had pent up this emotion for what seemed like years, and being able to let even a little bit out would’ve been such a liberating experience.

Adora simply held Catra closer, and she cried even louder. She stroked Catra’s hair gently, and allowed her to cry as long as she needed. Sometimes, Catra apologized. Adora simply whispered comfort in return.

They laid there, in the same bed, as Catra melted away layer after layer of built up grief and suffering. She held Adora’s arm close, and Adora held Catra even closer. She understood very well what it was like to release emotion and fear.

Catra cried, and Adora never left her side.

* * *

The sun woke Adora up first.

She still held Catra close as her head slowly raised. It was around eleven in the morning, nearing midday. Both of them slept in heavily. Catra needed it especially.

Catra’s hands still held Adora’s arm tightly, cuddling her close as she slept. However, that arm also felt dead, and Adora slowly had to take it away from Catra’s grip as she stood up and out of bed, rubbing her eyes.

She let Catra sleep, but quietly, she opened her fridge to see if she could make Catra any breakfast. There were a few eggs, and some bread in the cupboard as well. It wasn’t much, but Adora assumed Catra had never really had a breakfast made for her before.

Adora grabbed a saucepan from the kitchen shelf, but eventually, the sleeping Catra noticed she wasn’t holding her cuddle toy of Adora’s arm anymore, and she awoke. Catra yawned as she sat up, looking at Adora in the kitchen. “What’s cooking, good looking?” Catra asked.

“Scrambled eggs on toast,” Adora responded, chuckling slightly at the flirt. She looked at Catra, who was rubbing her eyes. She sighed as she looked out the window.

“… thanks for last night,” Catra said, not looking at Adora, but putting genuine emotions behind those words. “I… needed that. I’m sorry if it seemed like I used you for some emotional baggage. I… kinda felt bad about dumping all that on you.”

As Adora put toast in the toaster, she turned and faced Catra. “I’m your friend, Catra. I swear I’m always here for you, and I didn’t feel burdened at all. I’m just glad you were able to get that stuff off your chest, and I’m happy to help in any way.”

Catra looked at Adora, and softly smiled. “Thanks… but… I’d appreciate if you just… kept it to yourself for now. I… I struggle with talking about it.”

“I get it,” Adora responded. “I swear on my life, I will tell absolutely no one. I won’t bring it up unless you want me to. I promise.”

Catra trusted Adora instantly, nodding at her reply, before stretching her arms above her head and stepping out of bed. Adora got back to making breakfast, cracking three eggs in the saucepan with a few tablespoons of butter. “Any plans for today?” Catra asked as she grabbed her phone from the desk, checking social media.

“Well, we already slept in to midday, so… I guess I’ll probably do some study. Maybe go to the gym for a bit,” Adora responded. “How about you?”

“I… really don’t know. I haven’t got a shift until tomorrow so… maybe I’ll come to the gym with you,” Catra shrugged.

Adora soon finished cooking the eggs and plated them up for Catra, pouring the scrambled eggs over toast. As she went to wash the saucepan, Catra sat before the plate. “… don’t think I’ve had a warm breakfast in years, now that I think about it.”

“I’m not exactly the best cook, but… I do my best,” Adora smiled as Catra took her first bite of the eggs on toast.

“Well, I’ll say… you cook a damn good egg, Adora,” Catra complimented, and Adora smirked in response. She was just glad to have made Catra happy in the end.

Catra’s sobs still rang in her ears. They were painful sounds to listen to, but at the same time, those eruptions of emotion are sometimes needed in order to heal ever so slightly. Adora didn’t fully know what she could do to help Catra’s situation, but no matter what, Adora vowed to always be there for her, just as Catra was there for Adora at the race and at the Pride Club.

As Catra finished her breakfast, her phone suddenly vibrated with a notification. She went to check it, and Adora saw Catra’s eyes go wide with almost an expression of horror. “Oh, shit…” Catra suddenly stood up from the seat. “It’s Shadow Weaver. She texted me. I… I need to go, Adora. I’m so sorry but…” Catra glanced at the message. “… I’m sorry.”

“Hey,” Adora spoke. “It’s okay. I promise. I… wish you didn’t have to go, but I understand. I’m always available to text if you need, and I’m always here for you. Okay?”

Catra nodded, putting her phone away and heading for the door. She opened it, and stopped for a few seconds, before looking to Adora. “… thank you for everything. Not just last night, but… everything. You mean a lot to me, Adora.”

“You mean a lot to me too, Catra,” Adora instantly responded. “I’ll see you on Monday?”

Catra thought for a few more seconds. She checked Shadow Weaver's message one more time, took a deep breath, and nodded. “Yeah. I’ll see you then,” Catra said with a sigh.

Catra left the apartment, and Adora sighed. She knew Catra had to go home under whatever threat Shadow Weaver had sent, but she wished she could stop it. She wished she could save Catra from everything.

Adora felt useless as she stood alone in that apartment. No matter what idea she thought of, it always had something that could go wrong. Running away could get Catra into more trouble with Shadow Weaver. Confronting Shadow Weaver could make things worse for Catra.

Adora saw Catra hurt more than ever last night. It was agonizing, but there was nothing that could be done. Catra didn’t want to be saved, and Adora respected her decision above all else. She grabbed the empty plate that used to be Catra’s breakfast, and washed that too.

She would see Catra on Monday. Hopefully, they could look towards a brighter future together. No matter what, Adora vowed to be there for her.

After all, winter break was in a couple of weeks. Adora would want to talk to Glimmer and Bow about that, and think about going away somewhere and bringing Catra. Shadow Weaver couldn’t stop her from going on a holiday after all, right?

Adora grabbed her phone and sent Glimmer a text.

 **Adorablyscary33:** Hey there. I’m just checking in to see if there’s any plans for winter break in a couple of weeks?

It took about a minute for Glimmer to read the message. She typed out a response.

 **SparkleSparklesss:** Actually, yeah. Aunt Castaspella was gonna take me along to her winter holiday home named Mystacor. Apparently it’s got great places for activities nearby like ice skating. I was just about to invite you and Bow along.

Adora felt a sense of rush. There was a plan for a holiday after all, and she didn’t hesitate for a second to type out her response. 

**AdorablyScary33:** Could we possibly bring Catra along too?

Glimmer read the message. A sense of anxiety built in Adora’s gut. “Please say yes, please say yes…” Adora whispered to herself, and eventually, Glimmer sent a reply.

 **SparkleSparklesss:** I’ll have to check with Castaspella, but I don’t see why not!

Adora let out a sigh of relief. “Bless you, Glimmer…” Adora smiled, holding her phone close to her chest. Even if it was for a few days, any time away from Shadow Weaver was enough.

Catra would be safe for a few days if this all went well. Adora smiled at the mere thought of it. 

Adora looked out the window, and gently, it began to snow.


	6. Winter

“Times up! Pens down.”

Adora let out a sigh along with the rest of her class as the final test of this semester concluded. After a gruelling week of non-stop examinations, she had been looking forward to the time hitting one o’clock and letting her free into the open world.

She glanced over to Bow and Glimmer, who both looked like they were as glad as she was that this week was finally over. Glimmer especially looked like she was ready to pass out and die on any of the nearby couches. Or any cushion surface.

Adora looked over to Catra and both girls’ eyes met. They smiled softly at each other, knowing that the struggle was over for now, and that winter break was finally beginning. After their test papers were collected, everyone grabbed their bags and headed for the door.

“How do you think you went?” Adora asked Glimmer as they walked out.

“I think I finished the test and I’m glad its over. Results are for future Glimmer to worry about,” she responded, sounded extraordinarily tired as Adora laughed slightly.

“Well, at least we’ve got Mystacor to look forward to next week. Some time away will do all of us some good, I say,” Adora tried to lighten the tone, but it seemed that the only thing that would fix Glimmer’s mood would be sleep. A lot of it. “Oh, speaking of… Did Castaspella say anything about letting Catra come along?”

“Huh? Oh, she said it was fine if Catra was cool with it. You and her might need to share a bedroom, if you’re comfortable with that,” Glimmer responded. After the night they had a couple of weeks ago, Adora assumed that merely sharing a bedroom would be fine with Catra.

“I’ll go talk to her and let you know what she says. Thank you so, so much, Glimmer… It means a lot,” Adora smiled. Glimmer shrugged in response.

“She really seems to make you happy, so I’m cool with it. Bow likes her, too. The more, the merrier,” Glimmer replied. “Anyway… I’ll see you around, Adora. Looking forward to next week!” Glimmer called out as she broke off from Adora and walked towards her home.

Adora turned around to spot Catra in the crowd and approached her. “How does your brain feel?” Adora asked.

“The fact that I am making basic conversation with you is nothing short of a miracle,” Catra responded as she rubbed her thumb and index finger against her forehead. “Plus, I’m starving. Do you wanna get something to eat nearby?”

“Sure. I actually wanted to talk to you anyway,” Adora replied as the two girls exited the school and went towards a nearby food place. As they exited the school, Adora put her warm gloves on and Catra put her jacket on as snow gently fell from the sky. The wind was chilly when it blew against their skin, but they had grown used to it by now.

There was nothing better right now then to get some hot food from a warm restaurant whilst snow fell outside and coated the floor in fluffy white. The snow crunched underneath Adora and Catra’s boots as their breaths came out visible before them. “So, do you prefer this kind of weather or more summer?” Catra asked.

“Honestly? They both have their benefits, but I love going out with friends, and summer just seems like the best season to do that. I mean, in winter, you can go under a warm blanket and binge a show with a hot drink… But the summer has the beach and theme parks and daytime shopping… My best memories come from summers with Bow and Glimmer,” Adora responded. “What about you?”

“I love this kind of weather. I remember making snow sculptures when I was young. They were my favorite thing to build… I use to make these giant castles and all the other kids would be SUPER envious of them. I liked to show them off to Shadow Weaver… I never could tell if she was proud of them or not,” Catra said as the two girls entered the warm restaurant.

Adora went to order their usual hot fries at the counter as Catra sat in their usual booth. Catra and Adora often liked to visit this place for a bit when they were able to leave school early, and it was their way of getting lunch. Their only other times of catching up were the gym and the café, so it was nice to just hang out without having to worry about much.

Catra hadn’t gone back to Adora’s apartment since a couple of weeks ago. Mostly out of fear of Shadow Weaver, but she also didn’t want to bother Adora too much. Catra took her gloves off as Adora came back with the hot fries, sitting opposite Catra at the booth. “So what did you want to talk to me about?” Catra asked as she took a fry.

“Oh, uh…” Adora cleared her throat. “Well you see, Bow, Glimmer and I usually like to get away for the winter break. Glimmer’s aunt or Bow’s dads often take us to some place with a bunch of snow and we just have fun and forget about life for a while. This year, Castaspella invited us three to her holiday home named Mystacor. It’s apparently got this great ice rink nearby and some places to build snow sculptures.”

“Sounds awesome,” Catra smiled. “I haven’t gone to a place like that in years myself. I really hope you three have fun.”

“Well, that’s the thing…” Adora scratched the back of her head. “We were… well, I was… kinda thinking of inviting you along with us. It’d be about a week? I promise it’s amazing. But… you don’t have to if you don’t want to, alright?”

“You kidding?” Catra scoffed. “Of course I want to come along! It’s just…”

“Shadow Weaver. Right?” Adora asked, and Catra nodded, a frown on her face.

“After I stayed overnight at your apartment, she… wasn’t happy. I don’t know if she’ll let me go. I’ll definitely ask, but… You know…” Catra sighed as Adora nodded.

“I understand. Just text me tonight after you ask, okay?” Adora asked. Catra buried her face in her hands.

“Fuck, I’m sorry… I wish things could be easier, but I screwed a lot of things up by running away to you that night…” Catra sighed, letting her hands drop to the table and lowering her head, barely even daring to look Adora in the eyes.

“Hey…” Adora spoke softly, trying to console Catra. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault. I was just so glad you stayed the night… I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I don’t know if that’s the same for you, but…”

Catra looked up at Adora, and just gently, she smiled. “It was a great night, Adora. I know I… I got upset, but… I think I needed it. I don’t regret it, I just… wish things could be easier in general,” Catra responded.

“I know, Catra. But I’m still here for you. No matter what. Because you’re my friend. And you’re amazing,” Adora spoke sincerely as Catra looked at Adora’s hands on the desk. She wanted to reach out and hold them, interlock the fingers and never let go.

“You’re amazing too, Adora. You have such a special place in my heart…” Catra wanted to say more, but her throat tightened up and she suddenly silenced herself. “Anyway… I’ll talk to my mom tonight and I’ll let you know, alright?”

“Thanks, Catra. I hope it goes well,” Adora smiled.

The faint look in Catra’s eyes spoke of uncertainty. After running away from Shadow Weaver so much, even Adora had no idea if Catra was going to come along.

All they had to do was wait and see.

* * *

Adora couldn’t even focus on the show she was watching that night.

Every minute, she checked her phone to see if she had gotten a message from Catra. The dread built like a slug in her stomach, and slid up her throat to form the anxiety. She couldn’t bare to think about it. Her going on a holiday whilst Catra is left all alone with Shadow Weaver.

Adora had only received a glimpse into Catra’s true emotional turmoil, and it utterly broke her heart to see Catra breakdown in her very arms. She never deserved that level of suffering that caused her to cry so much like that. Adora wished she had a magical ability to take that sadness away.

Adora checked her phone again. No notifications, like usual. The anxiety built higher and higher. She started thinking about alternative ways of convincing Shadow Weaver to let Catra come along if she refused. Perhaps they could kidnap Catra? Or maybe the Best Friends Squad could form a legal team and take this to court?

The case of Shadow Weaver vs the State over whether Catra can go on a holiday.

That plan quickly dissolved in Adora’s mind, though it was cool to think about.

Adora sighed, standing up and pacing back and forth, checking her phone over and over. She just needed the all clear, and then she could breath. Adora felt like she was suffocating in the dread. What was Catra doing right now? Was Shadow Weaver hurting her in any way? Did Catra even ask at all? Adora didn’t want to pester her, but her nerves were shooting through the roof.

Adora looked out the window to see snow still falling, coating the roads and almost making them dangerous. She had never seen a car accident, and she sure didn’t want to, but winter was a dangerous time to drive.

The window felt cold to touch, and Adora had to blast the heat in her room so that her body wouldn’t go cold. She had just gotten out of a shower too, so her hair was still damp. She hadn’t even had any dinner yet. Nothing was going to come before this message.

Suddenly, a notification.

Adora’s eyes immediately shot down to her phone screen.

**NoPurr44 has sent you a message.**

“Catra!” Adora went to open the message, but hesitated. What if it was a no? What if it was everything she had feared? What if Shadow Weaver was taking Catra away forever? Adora’s mind filled with a million ways this could all go wrong.

Ultimately, nothing was going to happen unless Adora opened that message. She took a few deep breaths, and tapped the notification, revealing the truth…

 **NoPurr44:** I spoke to my mom.

“Oh, fuck you!” Adora sighed, her heart racing even faster upon receiving that ominous message. She didn’t blame Catra, but she needed some form of an answer or she was going to explode with fear and dread. Adora typed rapidly.

 **Adorablyscary33:** Is everything okay?

Catra immediately read the message. She started typing. “Please, please, please…” Adora panted as Catra typed. Her heart was going to leap out of her chest, and she could barely even breathe. She paced back and forth over and over until…

 **NoPurr44:** Everything is fantastic. She said yes.

The cheer that came from Adora most definitely woke a few of her neighbors.

* * *

The snow coated train station was busy with people preparing for their winter break.

Adora carried her suitcase as she scanned the platform for Bow, Glimmer and Castaspella. It was almost impossible to spot anyone amongst the crowd of people. Adora carried her train ticket in her hand. The train would leave in about fifteen minutes time.

“Adora!” A voice called out, and Adora looked towards it to find Bow and Glimmer standing alongside Castaspella.

“Glimmer! Bow!” Adora ran over to them, dodging a few people along the way and wrapping her friends in a hug with her strong arms. They all wore some very warm clothes, with Adora wearing some wool gloves and a thick coat specifically. The snow had been gentle, but definitely there. It coated some of the train platform.

“Did Catra come with you?” Bow asked as Adora let them go.

“Oh, she said she would be here soon…” Adora checked her phone to see the recent texts from Catra, but she was soon interrupted by Glimmer.

“There she is! Catra! Catra, over here!” Glimmer called out, and Adora looked up to see Catra at the very entrance.

Along with Shadow Weaver.

It was a weird rush of emotion. The joy that Catra brought along with her clashed against the fear Shadow Weaver gave off. Adora didn’t even know if she was allowed to hug Catra, much less go near her. After all, Catra had run away to her apartment. Shadow Weaver must blame Adora in some fashion.

“Hey guys,” Catra gave a small wave. “Um… this is my mom… She was just here to see me off,” Catra explained.

Adora looked to Bow and Glimmer, and she realized she wasn’t alone in feeling the fear this woman gave off. Adora had known these two long enough to see when they’re uncomfortable. Bow was completely lost at what to say, but Glimmer was able to take the reigns.

“It’s… lovely to meet you. Thank you so much for letting Catra go along with us,” Glimmer spoke in a tone that Adora could tell was not very genuine. She looked over to Catra and saw that she was visibly shrinking and trying to hide herself from Adora’s eyes.

“Likewise,” Shadow Weaver responded. Her eyes turned to Adora, and Adora froze up upon making eye contact. “I was… hoping to speak to you.”

“… Sure,” Adora replied to Shadow Weaver. Catra looked to Adora, and worry filled her eyes. Adora returned the look, but wordlessly told Catra that things will be okay as she followed Shadow Weaver. In the meantime, Catra spoke to Bow and Glimmer.

“I suppose I should thank you,” Shadow Weaver told Adora. “You’ve helped my daughter fit in at that school of hers, and she clearly has a great deal of care for you. She often… struggles with interaction among others. I appreciate you taking the time to put up with her.”

Adora almost wanted to slap Shadow Weaver, but she held herself back. “I enjoy my time with her. I’m glad she’s coming with us,” Adora spoke, doing her absolute best to sound respectable. She didn’t want to make things any harder for Catra.

“She seemed pleased when I allowed her to come. Do promise me that you’ll… look after her. She’s my daughter and I don’t want anything to hurt her,” Shadow Weaver spoke slowly, and her eyes narrowed. “I’m trusting you to take care of her.”

Adora could feel her hands shaking. It was hard to pinpoint just how angry she was, but she was surprised that she could keep a straight face. “I will,” were the only words Adora could say.

Shadow Weaver didn’t respond for a while, but slowly, she nodded. “Good. I’ll let you go now. Do let Catra know I wish to speak to her. I want to say goodbye before the train leaves.”

Adora turned away and walked towards Catra. Her teeth were grinding hard, and she dugs her nails into her palms as she attempted to calm herself after that brief conversation with Shadow Weaver. The tone she spoke, and the things she said… It all made sense why Catra was suffering so much.

“Um…” Adora spoke to Catra upon approaching her. “Shadow Weaver wants to… see you off before you go,” Adora told Catra. They both exchanged worrisome looks, but Catra nodded, walking pass Adora and towards her mother.

Adora turned her head to face Catra, who was talking to Shadow Weaver. She couldn’t hear the words, but it didn’t seem like a parent who would miss her child at all. It barely seemed like a conversation between mother and daughter. Shadow Weaver spoke a few words, and without even a hug, she left. Catra barely responded, and instead walked away, back towards Adora.

“… You okay?” Adora asked Catra, who just silently nodded.

Before she could say any more, the loudspeakers blared about the next train to leave, and Adora and Catra had to board. It would be a couple of hours until Mystacor, and Adora and Catra were seated next to each other.

The chills Adora felt throughout her body were no longer from the cold, but from the words Shadow Weaver spoke. What struck her most was that there was never a scrap of love in Shadow Weaver. She didn’t even hug Catra or put a hand on her shoulder.

It was like Shadow Weaver didn’t care for Catra as a person at all.

* * *

The train rolled along the tracks as Adora stared out the window at the scenery.

It was mostly endless fields, with snow coating the grass and trees. In the distance, mountains rose and fell, their summits covered in snow as well. It was a smooth train ride all around.

Glimmer and Bow sat in front of her, watching a movie together, and Bow trying to hold back his tears. He was always a sobbing mess when it came to movies, and it was oddly kind of adorable as Glimmer comforted him, rubbing his arm.

Castaspella sat behind her, reading a book she had started when the train took off. She was already halfway through it. Adora almost admired the speed at which she read, and especially since she knew that Castaspella was taking in all the details.

In front of Adora was her small breakfast of bacon, a fried egg, toast, some fruit and orange juice. A complementary meal served by the staff on the train that Adora had mostly finished. It was nice to have something to eat on such a long train ride, but now, Adora had simply started listening to music on her phone. She had one earbud in her left ear.

The other earbud was in Catra’s right ear.

They had decided to share Adora’s headphones and listen to her music, which Catra didn’t complain about. Though, now that Catra was fast asleep, Adora wondered if her playlist was just that bad.

Catra looked cute as she slept. She was in a peaceful bliss, having fallen asleep about ten minutes ago. She softly snored through her nose as her hands rested on her lap. Adora couldn’t help but stare every now and then. Though, she made great effort not to look for too long.

Soft acoustic guitar played in Adora’s ear as the train rounded a corner gently. They were still about an hour away from arriving, and Adora wondered if she should get some rest too. By the time they would arrive and have to take the bus to Mystacor, it would be late afternoon. Tomorrow would be the day everything would officially start.

Adora still felt so relieved about Catra sitting next to her. It was a joy to think about the week she would spend with Catra by her side in the snow. She wondered about the possibilities. Perhaps she could simply let Catra decide what to do? It didn’t stop her from dreaming.

Suddenly, the train rocked. It was sudden, but not much to worry about. However, as it rocked about, it also shifted Catra’s sleeping body, and she fell to the side.

And suddenly, the sleeping Catra was leaning her body against Adora’s, and her head rested on Adora’s shoulder like a pillow.

Adora’s eyes widened, and she looked to see if Catra was teasing her. It was a complete accident, however. Catra was still in deep sleep. Adora wondered if she should move Catra, but at the same time, she didn’t want to wake her.

Catra unconsciously snuggled up to Adora like a blanket, and Adora went completely red in the face. She wondered if anyone else was seeing this, and almost prayed that Bow and Glimmer didn’t turn around. That would be something they would never let go.

Ultimately, Adora decided to let Catra stay there. She didn’t want to wake her, and she must be pretty comfortable, considering how much she snuggled up to Adora. It was nice to see Catra so relaxed. It spoke volumes of how she was after leaving Shadow Weaver temporarily.

Plus. Adora would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy cuddling up to Catra.

* * *

Due to a few delays, mostly involving stops for food and sightseeing, by the time everyone arrived at the holiday house, it was ten o’clock at night. Almost everyone was completely wiped for the day as they entered the holiday house.

It was two stories, with a nice view of the mountains on the balcony outside. It had a living room and kitchen downstairs, plus a couple of bedrooms. Upstairs consisted of a few more bedrooms, and a theatre. All of which would have to be explored at a later date.

“Adora, Catra, your bedroom is upstairs, down the hall, last on the left. I’ll show you all the rest of the place tomorrow…” Castaspella yawned.

“Thank you…” Adora and Catra almost spoke in sync as they grabbed their bags made their way upstairs. The house was quiet and dark, with only the sounds of crickets surrounding it as the two girls found their bedroom. Two beds awaiting them, as well as a few closets and a joint bathroom.

“Oh, they look so comfortable…” Adora smiled, and Catra flopped down face first on the bed.

“My expert review is… soft,” Catra spoke, her voice muffled with her face in the pillow. Adora snickered as she placed her bag in the closet.

“Well… I’m going to have a quick shower before bed myself if that’s alright with you?” Adora asked, and Catra merely gave a thumbs up.

Adora stepped into the pristine bathroom and locked the door behind herself. This shower was much bigger than the one she had in her apartment, and she could actually walk around in it slightly. Adora undressed her many layers of clothing and ran the hot shower.

It felt like heaven against her skin. The coldness of the day was washed away as the shower warmed her very soul. Adora ran her hands through her long hair as she looked up at the shower head. In the other room was Catra, laying on the bed, miles away from Shadow Weaver.

Safe. Catra was safe.

Adora let out a sigh of relief every time she thought of that. Catra was simply able to be happy here. She could sleep on Adora’s shoulder all she liked. Adora’s face still went red at the thought, but it was definitely pleasant to think about.

Adora washed her face as she thought about the week ahead with Catra. The pleasantries that would come with it. She wondered what she should do tomorrow with Catra and her friends. It was a whole week of whatever they wanted, within budget, of course.

After about ten minutes, Adora cut the shower and stepped out, drying herself off with the nearest towel. A shower before bed always soothed her body and soul, and it was like a message to her brain to relax for the day. She wrapped the towel around her body and stepped out of the bathroom into her and Catra’s bedroom.

Catra was softly snoring where she lay, clearly passed out from all the travelling today. Adora smiled. It was cute. Though, almost everything Catra did was cute.

She went over to her bag and grabbed her warm pyjamas. She checked to make sure Catra was definitely asleep, before slowly lowering the towel from her body as she went to get changed. These pyjamas were ones she recently brought specifically for winter, so they’d keep her warm throughout the night.

“Oh, hey, you’re finally done…” Catra suddenly spoke up as she returned to consciousness. “Could you grab my…”

Catra didn’t finish the sentence as she looked up from the bed and saw Adora completely naked.

Adora returned eye contact for a few seconds. The shade of red their faces made was likely deeper than any shade of red that actually existed. “Sorry! Sorry, I didn’t mean that, I swear!” Catra immediately turned her head away, looking at the wall instead of Adora. Both their hearts raced like crazy.

“It’s okay! I know that was an accident, I promise!” Adora reassured her. The tingles throughout their bodies still remained, and Catra did her very best to get Adora’s body out of her mind. She decided to think about random cats she had seen today. They were cute.

After a few more seconds, Adora finally finished changing. “Okay, you’re good now…” Adora said, and Catra slowly turned her head to see Adora dressed this time. She wondered if she should bring up the situation that just occurred, but unconsciously, both girls knew that was a moment that never need to be mentioned again.

“… Could you grab my toothbrush while you’re there, please?” Catra asked, and Adora did so. As Catra went to the bathroom, Adora took the chance to bury her face in her hands and scream internally.

She wished for some way to purge that memory from her mind, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized she didn’t really mind Catra seeing her like that. It was more that she felt embarrassment on Catra’s part. No one really wants to see their friends that way.

Adora slowly laid in bed as Catra finished brushing her teeth, and went to the bedroom, grabbing her own pyjamas. Catra opted for the safe option, choosing to change in the bathroom with the door between her and Adora.

After changing, Catra emerged from the bathroom and turned off the light. “You all good?” Catra asked.

“Yeah,” Adora replied, and Catra flicked the light off. “Good night, Catra.”

“… Hey, Adora?” Catra spoke as she sat in her own bed.

“Yeah?” Adora responded.

“Remember when you… held me that night in your apartment? We laid in the same bed together?” Catra asked.

“Of course.”

“I was…” Catra scratched the back of her head and sighed. “… Could we… do that again? I promise I’m not going to cry, it was just… nice… actually, ignore me. I’m being stupid,” Catra mumbled, but Adora instantly sat up.

“No, no, it’s fine! I… I enjoyed it too,” Adora admitted. “Maybe… you can cuddle… up to me this time?” Adora suggested. Catra thought for a few seconds.

“… I’d like that.”

Adora, wordlessly, stepped over to Catra’s bed and laid in it. Catra shifted over and made room for the girl, and as soon as Adora was under the sheets, she turned and faced away from Catra. Catra hesitated for a few seconds, but eventually, she snuggled close to Adora and wrapped an arm around Adora’s waist.

Adora could instantly see the appeal. She felt safe within Catra’s grasp, and held Catra’s arm close, just like how Catra held Adora’s arm on that night. “Good night, Adora,” Catra whispered in Adora’s ear, sending tingles down her spine.

“… Good night, Catra,” Adora whispered back, closing her eyes and allowing Catra to hold her close.

The warmth of their bodies blasted away any chill from the weather outside.

* * *

It was a grand castle. The walls surrounding it to defend against any enemy attacks, and it stood mighty and tall. Erected in honor of all the warriors who fight for it, and of the kings and queens who rule under it.

It was also made of snow and constructed entirely by Catra.

She had put the last finishing touches on the walls surrounding the snow castle that was almost as tall as she was. Her gloved hands patting down the fine details as Adora threw snowballs at Glimmer in the distance, defending the castle from enemy attacks.

She was Catra’s knight for the day.

“And…” Catra stood up, brushing her hands clean of snow, before placing them on her hips. “Done! What do you think?”

Adora and Glimmer ceased their battle as Catra presented her snow castle to them. It was intricately detailed, finely crafted, and almost impenetrable. “Castle Mystacor! I haven’t built a snow structure in ages, but I still haven’t lost that touch.”

“Catra, that’s amazing! I had no idea you were this talented,” Glimmer praised as Catra closed her eyes, looking very proud of herself.

“You really have a knack for the finer details, too! This is… I need to get a picture of this,” Adora said as she pulled her phone out of her heavy jacket.

“Oh, make sure I’m in them! I am the queen of this castle and I shall be presented alongside it!” Catra declared, causing Adora to chuckle a bit as she took photos of Catra standing alongside the seriously impressive structured she had made.

Without telling Catra, Adora also took the chance to set the picture of Catra and her castle as her phone wallpaper. Whenever Adora opened her phone, that would be the first image she saw. It would bring a smile to her face.

“You three!” Bow suddenly called out from the nearby ice skating park. It looked like a frozen over lake, with a gate surrounding the ice for anyone to hold on to, which many people were doing. “Catra, that is a seriously cool castle!”

“It’s QUEEN Catra, thank you very much!” Catra declared.

“Alright, queen! How well do you do at ice skating? Come on, you three!” Bow said, waving them over as he skated away. Adora and Catra had purchased ice skates earlier, so there was no time like the present.

“Have you done ice skating much?” Adora asked as she sat on a nearby bench, changing to her ice skates. Catra did the same.

“Once or twice,” Catra responded, changing quickly. She grabbed the nearby rails, using them as support as she awkwardly stepped over to the ice. Adora followed behind her, and almost expected Catra to fall upon stepping on the ice.

However, Adora didn’t get the chance to see that as she suddenly fell on her butt, the awkward skates knocking her off balance as she slid onto the ice. “Adora! You okay?” Catra asked.

“I’m okay, it’s just… going to take some getting used to…” Adora said. She turned to look at Catra.

To her utter shock, Catra was gliding along the ice towards Adora like a pro. She stepped naturally on the ice and skated towards Adora, holding out a hand for Adora to take. “I… thought you’d only done this once or twice,” Adora said as she took Catra’s hand, standing awkwardly to her feet.

“Well, yeah, but I picked it up pretty fast,” Catra smirked. Adora stood up, but instantly fell forward and onto Catra. “Whoa! Easy there,” Catra said, grabbing Adora by the arms and holding her up as she awkwardly tried to position her skates.

“I’ve… never been good at it myself,” Adora pointed out, holding onto Catra for support as she stood up. Catra slowly let go of Adora, letting her glide for a little bit, but it only took a few seconds for Adora to fall again, and Catra had to catch her once again. “Sorry…”

“It’s alright,” Catra smiled. “You can use me for support all you need.”

Adora, upon receiving consent, linked her arm with Catra’s. Slowly, the two girls started to glide along the ice together, though Catra was doing most of the work and Adora was just struggling to stand up. “You’re a natural, huh?” Adora asked.

“I just enjoy it,” Catra shrugged. The girls skated around a bit, before approaching Bow and Glimmer, who were in a similar situation. Glimmer barely being able to stand and Bow having to help her up. “You two alright?”

“Oh, we’re okay! Glimmer’s just getting the hang of things,” Bow said as Glimmer put her arms out to the side, keeping herself upright.

“This… ice… is IMPOSSIBLE!” Glimmer declared as she grabbed onto Bow yet again.

“if it’s any comfort, I suck at this too, Glimmer!” Adora said, holding on tightly to Catra’s arm. Glimmer smiled.

“See? If the girl who works out daily can’t handle the ice, then how do you expect me to?!” Glimmer complained to Bow, who simply shook his head.

“Practice makes perfect, you two. Just keep trying,” Bow spoke, and Glimmer took the chance to punch him in the arm as Catra and Adora skated away towards the middle of the ice.

The breeze against Adora’s face was refreshing. Her nose was a shade of red from the cold, but she didn’t mind. She skated gently with Catra, slowly gaining her balance as she looked at the land around her. Snow piled endlessly in the distance, and trees were scattered around.

“So…” Catra suddenly spoke. “I want to try something that might be completely crazy. I need you to take my hand and just… trust me here.”

Adora looked to Catra. “What exactly are you planning?”

“You’ll see. Just trust me,” Catra declared. Adora looked into Catra’s eyes, but she did not need a second to think. She would always trust Catra.

Adora took Catra’s gloved hands in her own, and the girls held hands as they stood opposite of each other in on that field. Adora staggered a bit, but Catra kept her up as they looked at each other. Slowly, Catra released one hand, and only held Adora’s left hand as she skated in a circle.

Adora was pulled along, and the two girls begin to skate circles, hand in hand, around each other. It was almost like a dance. Their arms slowly lifted into the air, bringing their bodies closer. “Try to twirl,” Catra suggested. “Trust me. I’ve got you.”

Adora was scared, but the trust overwrote that. She brought her legs close and her body began to spin in circles as Catra held her hand high in the air. It was about two seconds of spinning before Adora suddenly fell, but she was caught by Catra, who held out an arm to break Adora’s fall. Adora was laying back on Catra’s arm as she looked down at her, both girls panting.

“Are we… dancing?” Adora asked.

“I didn’t want to embarrass you,” Catra said. Adora chuckled, and slowly stood up. The girls extended their arms, holding each other’s hands at arm’s length as they circle around each other. Adora didn’t care how many people were looking at her in this moment. Her eyes were lost in Catra’s.

Catra grabbed Adora’s other hand as they spun together, but their eyes never left each other’s. It was dizzying, but they never let go. Their grip on each other was tight, and they held on no matter how much physics wanted them to let go.

But eventually, Adora stumbled forward, and Catra caught her.

And their faces were mere hairs apart. Adora looked into Catra’s eyes as they panted, and their hot breath hit each other. Adora could spot the droplets in Catra’s eyes up close, and she could almost feel Catra’s cold nose against her own.

But quickly, they separated. “… That was fun,” Adora smiled.

“I’ve always wanted to try that. Thank you,” Catra returned warmly. Adora chuckled, continuing to skate with Catra as she responded.

“Anything for the queen.”

* * *

The fireplaced warmed Catra as she sat by herself in front of it.

In the distance, Bow played a soft guitar. Glimmer was leaning her head on his shoulder as the acoustics soothed the ears. It was nice to feel the warm fire in front of her. The night sky was beautiful to watch as darkness surrounded Mystacor.

“You look lonely over here,” Adora said as she came over from the kitchen and sat down next to Catra, two mugs of hot chocolate in her hand, one of which was for Catra.

“The fire is nice. Today was kind of cold so…” Catra smiled. “I’m… really glad I got to come along with you all. I haven’t gotten any messages from Shadow Weaver since I left, so… I can almost pretend she doesn’t exist.”

Adora looked at Catra. “You’ve seemed a lot happier. I’m glad you can smile more around here. You… always warm my heart when you smile,” Adora said as she took a sip from her hot chocolate. Catra chuckled.

“… I was scared at the start of the year,” Catra spoke. “That I’d be… totally alone. No one to be friends with. I was scared that I’d have to go home to Shadow Weaver every single night. I… didn’t know what to do. And of course, rumours were spreading about me… About my fight… which made things worse.”

Catra brought her knees up to her chest. “Everyone must think I’m… some sort of beast. Someone so violent that they have to stay away from. But… they don’t understand. There’s nothing I can do to change their minds, though… But still. It hurts when I see the fear in their eyes. I just want to scream that I’m not going to hurt anyone,” Catra sighed.

“I’m… sorry, Catra. I wish more people knew how… amazing you are,” Adora spoke. “You’re someone who is… so, so strong. I admire how bold you are. You were able to help me win a race I’ve never gotten close to beating before… and you helped me figure a lot of shit out. But you’re more than that. You… you make my life better. In every single way. I… I see you walk into a room, and it is just… joy. You are… I can’t describe how happy you make me.”

Catra looked Adora, and a great big smile washed over her face. “Meeting you this year was one of the greatest things to happen to me,” Catra responded. “You make me feel like I’m at my true home. You make me feel safe from everything. But you don’t… pity me. You don’t try to take control of my life or try to… protect me like I’m some damsel in distress. You just… support me. I hate people who think I’m utterly helpless… But you have never looked down on me. And beyond that… I just want to spend… the rest of my life with you. I could cherish every day, knowing I have you.”

The two girls smiled at each other. The kindest words they had ever spoken, shared with each other in front of that fireplace, mugs of hot chocolate in their hands. There was silence between them. A few moments of contemplation. A few moments of staring.

They both moved towards each other at the same time.

Adora looked at Catra’s lips. They were delicate and beautiful. They looked like warmth, and in that moment, Adora wanted nothing more than to be close to Catra. The girls moved slowly, and hesitated.

“… Adora, I really want to kiss you,” Catra whispered delicately. Her voice sounded like gentle music that soothed Adora’s very being. Adora didn’t need to think for a second.

“I won’t stop you,” Adora whispered back. Tingles throughout their bodies, going down their spines as they moved closer and closer. Catra closed her eyes, and Adora did the same.

In front of that fireplace, Catra and Adora kissed.

Their lips met softly. Adora felt an explosion of warmth, tenderness, love and joy. It was her very first kiss, and it felt absolutely perfect. The warmth of the fireplace was nothing compared to this. Adora melted into Catra’s lips.

Catra pushed the kiss deeper, and Adora accepted it. Time was no longer running. It felt like everything had stopped as their first kiss was shared. Adora did not care about a single thing in the world except for Catra in this moment. She wanted everything to do with Catra.

Catra, Catra, Catra. Adora’s mind was being invaded with every thought to do with Catra. Every memory, and every possibility.

But, eventually, the moment stopped when Catra suddenly pulled away.

“What…” Catra spoke as her eyes suddenly widened, looking at Adora. “What… what the fuck…”

Catra had done a complete turn in her personality. Tenderness turned to horror, and Catra looked like she was scared of Adora. “What? Did I do something wrong?” Adora asked as Catra ran a hand through her own hair.

“What the FUCK is wrong with me?!” Catra gasped. “I… I shouldn’t have done that, I…” Catra started shivering, her body shaking and her breath barely escaping as she started to choke.

“Catra, it’s okay…” Adora reached out a hand, but Catra slapped it away.

“IT’S NOT OKAY!” Catra suddenly yelled. “I… How could I do that?! What is wrong with my head?! I… I forced you into kissing me when you don’t even know if you’re into women or not… Fuck, Adora, I… I’m so sorry, I… We’re supposed to be friends…”

“Catra, please, I promise, it’s fine!” Adora felt her heart go cold as she saw Catra on the verge of a panic attack, but before she could say anything else, Catra suddenly stood up.

“I… I can’t talk right now, Adora… I need to be alone… I’m sorry, I… I’ve ruined everything again…” Catra’s eyes welled up with tears as she looked down at Adora, before she suddenly ran away. Adora didn’t chase after her, as much as she wanted to. Her entire body felt completely numb, and her mind was flooded with confusion.

Adora didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what to do. She was completely and utterly devoid of any meaning. The highest moment of her life had suddenly come crashing down into a flaming mess. Adora cursed herself. She wondered what she did wrong. What made Catra feel like this. But she couldn’t find any answers.

That night, Adora and Catra slept in separate beds, and they didn’t share a word.


	7. Fireworks

Catra wasn’t in her bed when Adora woke up the next morning.

Adora’s eyes slowly opened after getting about three hours of sleep. She rubbed her eyes with her thumb and index finger, sighing as she checked the time on her phone. Nine in the morning.

It was still snowing outside, and it was a little bit heavier today than usual. Nothing too unbearable, but it was clear most activities today would be indoors. If they even did any activities today.

Adora still couldn’t fully understand the events that transpired last night as she slowly got out of bed, planting her feet on the soft floor and going over to put some warm clothes on. Last night, she had her first kiss, and it was with Catra. The girl she had gotten to know so well over the last few months.

She remembered every detail of Catra’s lips. The soft kiss that had warmed Adora’s very soul and drove passion right through her entire body. The world ceased to exist in that moment as she shared her lips with Catra’s, but in the next few seconds, it all came tumbling down in fire.

Catra seemed shaken up about the kiss, and Adora couldn’t quite pinpoint why. It seemed that Catra felt guilt, panic and sadness over the kiss, but Adora didn’t regret it at all. She just didn’t like seeing Catra freak out like that. It broke her heart.

Adora slowly climbed downstairs to find Glimmer by herself in the kitchen, making a batch of pancakes. Glimmer looked up to see Adora and smiled. “Morning, Adora.”

“Hey,” Adora responded with a yawn as she sat at the kitchen bench. “Those look good,” she complimented the pancakes.

“Why, thank you,” Glimmer smiled. “I was just making a batch for Bow and I, but I can make some for you if you’d like?”

“I’m fine. Thanks, though,” Adora responded as she scanned the house quickly. When she looked towards the front door, she noticed Catra’s pair of boots were missing from the pile. “Hey, Glimmer?”

“What’s up?” Glimmer asked as she flipped a pancake.

“Did you… see Catra go anywhere this morning?” Adora asked. Catra pondered for a few moments at the question.

“Actually… yeah. About an hour ago, she left all of a sudden without even saying anything. She looked… really upset,” Glimmer spoke with some worry in her voice as she turned her head to look at Adora. “Is everything alright with her?”

Adora wondered if she should talk about the kiss from last night. She scratched her head for a bit, and decided against it for now. It might create some false assumptions about her and Catra’s relationship, which was already confusing enough at the moment. “I don’t know. She just seemed a bit bummed out about something last night. We barely talked,” Adora replied.

“Well… Whatever she’s going through, I hope she’ll be okay,” Glimmer said as she put a pancake on a plate. “I mean, she has you, right? Nothing bad could happen as long as you two are together. You really bring out the best in each other.”

“Yeah…” Adora mumbled, not wanting to really mention how much that comment accidentally stung. “She… She’s really great. She just goes through a lot that’s just… really unfair. Life hasn’t treated her the best and… I just want to help make things a little easier.”

“That’s kinda how I feel about Bow,” Glimmer replied. “His dads are still getting used to him not being a professional historian and its hard on him sometimes. So… I try to do my best to make things a little bit easier for him too. Because I love him a lot. I can’t imagine life without him. I just hope he feels the same way about me.”

“I’m sure he does,” Adora replied gently as she checked her phone quickly in case Catra had sent any texts. Instead, there was only one from Double Trouble that she’d check later. “Have you two… ever gotten into an argument? Or… something really bad happened that made things awkward?”

Glimmer nodded. “We’ve been friends for years. There’s been a few lows. We’ve had times where we don’t talk to each other for days, and it’s usually because of stupid stuff that we laugh about later. Because no matter how hard things get… I love that guy with all my heart. Wouldn’t trade the world for him. Life with him around is just that little bit brighter, you know? Nothing can really stop that. I can tell Catra really loves you too.”

“You think so, huh?” Adora asked, chuckling.

“I see her face whenever she spots you. The little sparkle in her eyes. You mean a lot to her, Adora. Whatever she’s going through right now… I’m sure she’s thinking about you in some way and smiling a little bit,” Glimmer spoke warmly.

Adora tried to hide her sigh as she buried her face in one hand. Everything was so, so confusing. What Glimmer was saying would be okay in normal circumstances, but this was just too much. Adora didn’t know how Catra would feel about her after all this. How much it would hurt their relationship.

Adora decided to go back upstairs and check the text she had received from Double Trouble.

**DTpride55:** How’s the holidays going? Got any pics?

Adora had taken a few pictures of the scenery, but really, nothing like that felt like it mattered at the moment. Catra was somewhere out in the cold, and Adora had no idea if she should go after her or not. Would it just make things worse if Catra saw her?

Adora held the phone in her hands for a few minutes, struggling to respond to them. She wondered if it would be okay to talk to them about all this, or if it was all too much. Adora sighed, tapping her phone against her forehead, before deciding to just go for it.

**Adorablyscary33:** Things are… really weird at the moment. Between me and Catra.

Double Trouble read the message, and responded within a few short seconds.

**DTpride55:** Do you want to call me, darling? I’ve got time.

“Oh, bless you…” Adora whispered as she tapped on the call button for Double Trouble, waiting a few seconds before their familiar voice hit her ear.

“Darling, darling, I am HERE for you, trust me,” they immediately spoke upon answering. “I’m getting the most wonderful facial and it is doing my skin wonders! I’ve got some time while I let this mask do its work, so confide in me all your feelings, emotions and love, doll,” Double Trouble said, and Adora couldn’t help but smile upon hearing those lovely words.

“You’re amazing, DT,” Adora sighed. “Things… things are going through the shit at the moment. Catra…” Adora hesitated for a moment. “DT, I can trust you to keep a secret. Right?”

“Honey, this is no laughing matter to me. Treat this like we’re at the Pride Club. What you say in this room, stays in this room. I will never out you on ANYTHING,” Double Trouble spoke, and Adora trusted them. They ran a club built on confidentiality, so they were trustworthy here.

“I…” Adora sighed, before psyching herself up and speaking. “I am… totally in love with Catra.”

“Called it,” Double Trouble instantly responded without so much as a gasp. Adora raised an eyebrow.

“Uh… I have a crush on her. I love her. A lot. She means the world to me. DT, this is meant to be a huge revelation?” Adora said, almost wanting some sort of reaction from her friend on the other end of the line.

“Doll, if this were a TV show, this would be the most predictable twist ever. You two are adorable around each other, what with your flirting and your supportive natures and… gah, I ship it so much,” Double Trouble spoke with glee. “But, I’m going to assume based off this information that something is going on between you two sweethearts.”

“Yeah, you got that right,” Adora responded with a deep sigh. “We… kissed each other last night.”

“Ooh, I can already see where this is going,” Double Trouble spoke with an extreme amount of sympathy and worry in their voice.

“Yeah…” Adora shook her head. “It was… on the spot, but I’m not sure if I made it clear enough that I consented because… well, she freaked out. She thinks she forced herself on me, and that she’s kissing me when I don’t even know my own sexuality, and… she was really, really upset, and I had no idea how to tell her that I liked it so much,” Adora replied. “But at the same time… it happened so fast and… I don’t want to ruin something that is so precious between us.”

“I completely understand, darling. Trust me, you are not alone, I am right here with you,” Double Trouble responded. “You two have such a gorgeous relationship that you’re afraid of tainting it if you take it to the next step. Plus, from Catra’s perspective, she may have just kissed her straight best friend and made things super awkward.”

“Right…” Adora nodded. “It’s… it’s hard, DT. I really love her. I really loved kissing her. But… I have no clue if we’re both ready for that next step in our relationship. She’s going through so much and I don’t want to add any weight of burden on her shoulders.”

“I know, doll. I’m so sorry you two are going through this awkward phase. I’d give anything to hug you right now,” Double Trouble responded. “If I had any advice to give… The obvious one is that you two clearly need to talk. Do you know where she is?”

“No… I hope she didn’t run away too far. She took her phone with her, so that might help,” Adora said as she stood up, going to put on her thick coat.

“Okay, good. But also…” Double Trouble continued. “Don’t feel bad about your love for Catra. Even if it might not be in a romantic way, you two truly do bring out the best in each other and it shows. You know Catra barely talked in the Pride Club until you came along?”

“… Really?” Adora asked.

“Yes, doll. I mean, don’t get me wrong, she’s always been a joy to have around, but… she was clearly uncomfortable being around so many new people she didn’t know at first. But when you joined, she just… opened up so much, and it was incredible to see. No matter what patch you two are going through right now, I really hope you find a way to figure it out. You make each other happy, and that’s worth more than anything,” Double Trouble spoke with a genuine tone of comfort in their voice.

“Thanks, DT… This really helped,” Adora smiled. “I’m going to go see if I can find her. I have an idea of where she might be, too. We… really need to talk and figure this all out.” Adora started heading downstairs, putting her boots on as she kept the phone against her ear.

“Let me know how it all goes, alright? I’ve got to go in for a massage now, but I’m available all night tonight if you need to vent,” Double Trouble replied.

“Alright. Thank you so much, DT. Words can’t describe how amazing you are,” Adora smiled.

“Oh, praise me more, darling. It soothes me,” Double Trouble responded with clear exaggeration, and Adora chuckled. “Good luck, darling. Oh, and if I don’t talk to you before it, Happy New Year for this Saturday!”

Adora was embarrassed to suddenly remember that amongst all this, the new year was only a few days away. With everything going on with Catra and all, it had almost slipped her mind. “Happy New Year to you too, DT. See ya.”

Adora pocketed her phone after hanging up on them, and headed outside into the heavy snow. The wind blew against her skin and she wrapped her arms around herself as she walked towards the one place Catra could be.

She was nervous about what to say when she got there. Whether Catra would want to talk, or simply run away. The kiss last night was on the spot, and Adora could only hope it wasn’t the thing that ruined this relationship she had with Catra.

Adora knew she loved Catra. The kiss last night was so full of warmth that it only made sense, and it explained why Catra shined so much brighter in her eyes than anyone else. But these feelings of love may not be what Catra needs right now.

More than anything, she needed a friend.

* * *

The snow castle was still standing against all odds.

Catra was making a few adjustments to the castle gate, really nailing this all down. In the back of her mind, she was aware how quickly this could all be destroyed. All it took was one kick, and the castle of Mystacor was gone for good.

Something that had been so intricately built, so finely crafted, could all come crashing down in less than a second. Catra almost expected the castle to be destroyed. She was so used to everything being ruined in her life.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

Catra knew that voice instantly. She turned and saw the girl she had been dreading to see all day. Adora stood there, looking at the castle Catra made and smiling. “You’re really talented at this stuff, huh? I’m envious. I’ve never been able to make something as gorgeous as that,” Adora complimented.

Catra looked at Adora with confusion for a few seconds, before mumbling a response. “A queen must look after her home.”

Adora chuckled slightly, scratching the back of her head. The two tried to avoid any awkward stares, but what ensued were immensely awkward silences. Adora sighed. “Do you… want to go somewhere for lunch? There’s a great coffee shop nearby. Maybe not as good as the stuff you make, but…”

Catra looked at the castle. She knew what Adora was doing. This talk was going to happen eventually, and there was not much she could do to avoid it. Avoiding it would just be immature, given everything that had happened last night. “Sure,” Catra responded.

They didn’t talk much as they made their way to the nearby coffee shop. The usual method of Adora ordering whilst Catra picked a seat occurred once they entered the building, like always. The snow coated the world white outside, and it was oddly beautiful to see streetlamps and buildings decorated in snow.

Catra saw a few advertisements for the fireworks this coming New Years Eve. They were actually not far away, and she pondered whether they could go there when the time came. Of course, that was assuming things between her and Adora would be back to some form of normal.

Catra felt like she had ruined absolutely everything. She barely slept last night and had to stop herself from crying multiple times. It was hard to comprehend how much she had fucked everything up by kissing Adora.

And yet… she enjoyed it. The kiss with Adora was truly incredible in the moment. But the thoughts that came along with it were almost unbearable.

“Here you go…” Adora returned with two hot cups of coffee, as well as a steaming pile of pancakes for Catra topped with maple syrup and butter. “I… figured you might have skipped breakfast this morning and I was worried. It’s on me.”

“… You always look after me, don’t you?” Catra asked as she started to dig in.

“I pride myself on taking care of my friends,” Adora smiled. “… So… I’m sorry to have to bring this up, but…”

“I know,” Catra sighed. “I… Words can’t begin to express how sorry I am. I… I was so stupid for doing that without even waiting.”

“Catra, just… before you start,” Adora interrupted, “I want to make one thing super clear. I consented last night. Maybe I didn’t… say it that well, and I’m really sorry for that. But I swear you did not force anything last night. Okay?”

Catra felt a wave of relief flush over her. Above all else, her main worry was making Adora uncomfortable or horrified. Catra would never, ever mean to do something like that without clear consent. “… Thank you.”

“Plus… I didn’t hate the kiss. On the contrary. I liked it. It felt… really nice,” Adora smiled. Catra looked up at Adora with surprise as she chewed her pancakes.

“You did?” Catra asked.

“Yeah. I mean, we’ve been intimate before, so it didn’t feel unnatural…” Adora shrugged.

“… But it felt rushed,” Catra sighed. Adora was unsure how to respond as Catra looked out the window. “I mean… We barely even thought about it. We just… went for it. And maybe it felt good in the moment. I know I felt amazing… but was it… really right?”

“I don’t know, Catra. I’ve never… kissed anyone before in my entire life, so it’s hard to say if it felt ‘right’. I enjoyed it, but…” Adora sighed deeply. “I don’t know…”

“Adora… What we have here is really, really special. Right? It’s not just me?” Catra asked. Adora shook her head, smiling.

“You mean the world to me, Catra. I truly meant every word I said last night,” Adora responded softly. Catra had to hide her blush, looking down at the pancakes as her face went red. Adora always had this way with words that just always embarrassed Catra, whether it was intentional or not.

“… I don’t want to ruin that, Adora,” Catra said. “I’ve heard so many stories about people rushing headfirst into relationships and just… completely destroying them. I don’t want that to happen to us. I don’t want to lose you to something so stupid.”

“Yeah…” Adora replied, subduing the desire to confess her love to Catra. Adora had to weigh up the importance between her love for Catra, and allowing Catra to be happy, and ultimately, the latter would always be of greater importance. “So… I guess we should… just be friends, huh?”

“I think so. It just makes all of this easier…” Catra said. “With everything that’s going on in life, a relationship just… it would be hard.”

Adora swallowed back her words and nodded. It was a heavy blow to take for both of them, but it was something that had to be done. It was less risky to just remain friends and drop the kiss in the past. “Hey,” Catra whispered. “You okay?”

“Huh? Oh, um… yeah… I just hope I haven’t made you upset or anything,” Adora smiled. Catra put a hand on the table, and Adora slowly put her hand on top of Catra’s, looking into her eyes.

“You always bring a smile to my face, Adora. No matter what, I’m just… glad to have you in my life,” Catra replied as she intertwined her fingers with Adora’s. Soft chills were sent down their bodies as they touched, and Adora’s feelings for Catra were strengthened even more in that moment.

But she had to bottle them up to keep Catra happy.

Slowly, their hands left each other and Adora took a sip of her coffee, looking out the window as Catra ate her breakfast. On the surface, they had worked things out. Two girls who had kissed, remaining friends to lessen the risk.

But in their souls, both girls were holding something back. The full truth wasn’t out between them. And after today, they both wondered if it would ever be out.

* * *

“Adora, come on! You’re gonna miss the fireworks!”

Adora rushed over to Bow, Glimmer and Catra, carrying popcorn and cotton candy in her hands as she sat on the field with them.

It was about sixty seconds until the new year. Adora sat with her friends amongst other families and friends as they welcomed in the new year and said goodbye to the last. Adora handed cotton candy to Catra specifically, whilst sharing popcorn with the rest of her friends.

It surprisingly wasn’t as cold that day. Ever since her and Catra talked a few days ago, things had been mostly back to normal. But internally, Adora couldn’t help but notice how much she was struggling with her now personal feelings for Catra. In her heart, she knew she truly loved Catra, but confessing may ruin everything they’ve built up.

It didn’t make things unbearable. More that Adora had so many things she wanted to say, and yet she couldn’t.

“Got any New Years wishes?” Catra asked as she took a bite of her cotton candy, the last thirty seconds of the year shortly coming.

“Well… I’m not sure. But whatever may happen, I hope I get to spend it with you,” Adora smiled, a blush coming to her face. Catra swore she was never going to get used to those comments, but she took the flirtation on the chin, whether Adora meant it or not.

“You’ve really helped these last few months become the best of my life, Adora. I wish Scorpia was here…” Catra sighed. “But… nevertheless. Thank you for making me smile every day. I look forward to spending this year and however many years to come with you.”

The last ten seconds were passing, and Adora felt the sudden urge to take Catra’s face in her hands and lay a new years kiss on her lips. But she knew that would never come. It would be wrong in so many different ways, and would just make things completely weird between the two.

Instead, Catra leaned her head to the side and laid it on Adora’s shoulder, and Adora quickly wrapped her arm around Catra as the countdown hit zero.

Great fireworks exploded before their very eyes. The blasts of color filled the sky with beaming light and reflected upon Catra and Adora’s eyes as they sat and watched, mesmerized completely by the fireworks. Adora held Catra close the entire time.

A firework exploded into the shape of a heart, and that was probably Adora’s favorite. She rubbed Catra’s arm up and down as Catra cuddled up closer to Adora. The two girls sharing the warmth between each other as the fireworks welcomed the new year.

In the end, Glimmer was right. As long as they had each other, nothing really bad could happen.

Even if they remained friends.

* * *

“Your house isn’t too far away from here, right?” Adora asked Catra as they stepped off the train.

It was still New Years Day, but it was mostly spent travelling back home from Mystacor. Adora and Catra had said their goodbyes to Bow, Glimmer and Castaspella, and headed off in different directions, with Adora walking alongside Catra. “Yeah. It’s about five minutes or so,” Catra responded.

“Can I walk you there?” Adora asked. Catra looked at Adora and shrugged.

“That’s fine with me.”

The two girls mostly walked in silence. The travelling had exhausted them as they carried their suitcases and backpacks with them. It was night, and barely anyone was out and about after being hungover from New Years Eve. The snow still rested on the ground, but it was no longer falling.

Adora and Catra stared at similar things on their walk. Local diners, nearby lakes, flashing neon signs and snow covered footpaths. It was nice to simply walk together and think about nothing. The kiss was still fresh in their minds, but they hadn’t discussed it for a while now. They didn’t know if they were ever going to discuss it.

A lot of reserved feelings remained between the two. Adora knew she was in love with Catra beyond any reasonable measure. Catra had invaded her mind, and Adora had let her. She imagined futures with Catra, and more scenarios where she could kiss her.

Through Catra, Adora also began to slowly uncover things about herself. She was discovering who she truly was, and if anything positive came out of this trip, it was the fact that whether on purpose or not, Catra had helped Adora even more in untangling this knot of feelings.

Adora had no idea if she had done anything for Catra in return. But the smiles she gave and the laughs they shared despite everything made Adora assume that things were okay.

But now, it was time to return home. Adora spotted Catra’s house in the distance. Average sized, quiet and reserved. The lights were still on as Shadow Weaver waited for Catra inside. “Well… this is where we part for now,” Catra said.

“I hope we can still catch up over the holidays before school starts back up?” Adora asked, and Catra smiled.

“I would love to see you as much as I can. Whether at the gym or the café,” Catra responded. “Thanks for bringing me along, Adora. I know things got weird… but we’re cool, right?”

Adora struggled to answer that.

She nodded, however. “Yeah. We’re cool.”

She didn’t know if that was the truth or not.

Catra sighed happily and nodded in return. “I had a great time, Adora. Thanks to you. I’ll… see you around. Either on the holidays or when school starts back up.”

“Yeah,” Adora replied. Slowly, the two girls embraced each other in a deep, warm hug. Adora put a hand on the back of Catra’s head and held her tightly as Catra clung to Adora’s back. Despite the muted words between them, this hug felt so passionate. Like it was an expression of everything.

Adora looked up to see Shadow Weaver standing by the door, and she quickly separated from Catra out of fear. Catra turned to see Shadow Weaver, and smiled sadly at Adora, before walking over to Shadow Weaver, waving a small goodbye to Adora.

Adora waved a small goodbye back and watched as Shadow Weaver welcome Catra back home. The woman’s head turned to Adora, and slowly, she approached Adora. Adora could feel herself shrink before this woman’s presence. “Did she enjoy herself?” Shadow Weaver simply asked.

“… Yeah,” Adora replied, not even looking Shadow Weaver in the eye. “I’ve never seen her that happy before.”

Adora felt an insane chill down her spine upon realizing what she just said. She had never been this scared in her entire life, and she just wanted to disappear. “Is… that so?” Shadow Weaver spoke slowly upon hearing that answer, her eyes narrowing as she stared death into Adora. “… Interesting. Do take care, Adora.”

Adora felt her heart squeeze tightly as Shadow Weaver went back to the house, shutting the door. Adora watched the house for some time. She couldn’t hear any noise. But she could understand the suffering that Catra had to endure in this house. The many nightmares it had given her.

Adora had offered Catra to move in with her on the spot a few weeks ago. But she started to wonder if she could make that a reality.


	8. Coming Out

Despite the store being covered in rainbows, this particular flag stuck out among the rest.

The familiar colors of red all the way to purple shined bright in Adora’s eyes as she looked up at it. It was the last day of the holidays and after a session at the gym, Adora decided to head to a nearby mall and browse with the money she had leftover from Mystacor.

One of the first shops she had come across had an immense amount of queer merch, ranging from shirts to posters and of course, rainbow flags. Adora had decided to have a quick browse, but when she saw this flag, it really flashed like no other.

It looked perfect. Adora checked the price and knew she had enough for it too, so she slowly took the flag and carried it over to the register. Admittedly, she had been meaning to get some pride merch in her life. The holidays had been a discovery experience ever since her first kiss with Catra, and this flag would be the mark of that.

Adora placed the flag on the counter, and when she looked up, she saw someone who seemed extremely familiar. A woman with white, short hair, who gave off a general demeanor of love and positivity with the bright smile on her face. “Oh, I was waiting for someone to pick that one out! It’s amazing, right?” The woman said, and Adora nodded in response.

“I’ve been meaning to get something like this for a while, and this one just… caught my eye,” Adora responded as she looked at the woman behind the counter again. “Hey… do I… know you, per chance?”

“I sure hope so. I love having new friends, even if I… happen to forget about them. Which, if I did that, I’m sorry, my memory is HORRIBLE, I swear it’s not your fault,” the woman spoke. Upon the mentioning of the word ‘friend’, things clicked in place for Adora.

“You’re Catra’s friend! Uh… Scorpia, wasn’t it?” Adora snapped her fingers upon remembering. “I texted you a few months ago asking about Catra. You said you were her only friend at her old academy.”

“Ooh! Right, right, I remember!” Scorpia’s eyes instantly lit up upon remembering Adora. “How is she?! Does she drink plenty of water every day? I heard she joined a Pride Club over there and I was so, so proud of her!”

“You should be. I’m in that same club and she really fits right in, though it did take some getting used to,” Adora responded as she pulled out her phone and showed Scorpia her wallpaper of Catra with her snow castle. “We went on holiday to Mystacor recently, in fact.”

“Yeah, she told me about that! I wanted to go but I thought it’d be weird because none of you guys know me, so…” Scorpia chuckled. “I mean, you’re all great friends, and here’s Scorpia, the girl who tagged along and even though she gives the greatest hugs, none of us know her so it’d be weird…” Scorpia went on a bit of a tangent before clearing her throat. “Anyway. I’m glad you all had a great time. Though, did something happen to Catra? She didn’t text me for a bit after the first day.”

“Well, first of all, Scorpia, you are always welcome with the Best Friends Squad. If even Catra can learn to socialize with us all, I’m sure you’d fit in perfectly,” Adora complimented, causing Scorpia to blush and mutter a whole jumble of thanks. “Secondly… She’s okay, but… things got weird between me and her for a bit.”

“Uh oh,” Scorpia winced. “Should I ask?”

“Well…” Adora looked at Scorpia, and wondered if she should bring up the kiss. She knew next to nothing about Scorpia, but what if she had a crush? What if it made things weird and Scorpia didn’t want to talk to Catra anymore? There were too many unknown variables, but before Adora could continue, Scorpia interrupted.

“You know what? If you guys are cool with each other now, I’m sure it was just something minor!” Scorpia smiled. Adora felt a great sense of relief upon hearing that, knowing she was spared sharing that awkward story for now.

“Yeah, we’re okay now. We talked yesterday at the café. She’s sort of become an icon for the café itself, in fact. She’s one of the best baristas,” Adora smiled, and Scorpia’s face instantly flushed with a proud smile.

“Bless her heart, she’s learning to socialize! My girl is growing up so fast,” Scorpia beamed. “I really should thank you, Adora. I can see she’s smiling a lot more ever since she’s been around the Pride Club and especially you. You really bring out the best in her.”

“Don’t go underestimating yourself, Scorpia. I’m sure she really, really needed you back at her old academy. Plus, it’s always nice to know you have someone to rely on, and I can tell you’re that person to her,” Adora complimented.

“Thanks, Adora…” Scorpia scratched the back of her head, blushing before grabbing the rainbow flag on the counter. “Anyway! I’ll ring this up for you before we take too long.”

Scorpia scanned the flag and Adora was able to easily pay for it. “Thanks so much, Scorpia. I’ll see you around!”

“See you! And thanks again for everything you do for Catra!” Scorpia waved goodbye as Adora left the store, feeling that little bit more joyous. No wonder Catra was around that girl so much. She radiated pureness.

Adora carried that pride flag out in the open as she walked home. She didn’t care who saw her or what anyone thought. She was proud to have something like that, and no one was going to stop her. No one did stop her, but she was prepared nonetheless.

The town was still coated in snow, but it wasn’t falling as heavily as a few weeks ago. The roads were safer to drive on and children built multiple snow figures on the sidewalks near Adora’s apartment building. She went inside and up the elevator to her usual fifth floor.

Adora unlocked the door to her studio apartment and slowly unfolded the rainbow flag before her. She had the perfect space near her desk to hang it up, and had made room for it earlier today. It was just the right size too.

It hung between her desk and the small TV. Big, but not too much. Just enough to feel perfect. Adora smiled at the rainbow flag, and pulled out her phone, taking a picture of the flag and instantly taking the chance to post the picture to her social media with a rainbow emoji as the caption.

This flag meant a lot to Adora. It meant everything that the holidays had taught her. Everything that Catra taught her. Everything Double Trouble taught her. The Pride Club had helped Adora so much through this journey.

This flag represented the discovery of herself that Adora had finally made.

* * *

The first few days of the second semester went by rather quickly.

Test results were given back, and for Adora, she did better than expected in most subjects. Catra was pretty chill about sharing results, and she wavered on about the average for each class. She wasn’t too worried about life after school or what to do.

Bow and Glimmer seemed to be in constant panic about each result, and although some results were favorable, there were definitely a few that dealt blows to their emotions and general outlook on life.

However, on the Wednesday of the first week, Adora mostly had the Pride Club on her mind. It would be their first session of the new semester after the holidays. Double Trouble had sent out reminders to everyone to bring whatever snacks and drinks they desired, but Adora was mostly looking forward to it for other reasons.

She watched the clock tick down the last few minutes of the last class of Wednesday. She was eager, tapping her foot rapidly against the floor. However, along with that excitement came anxiety. The news she would tell the Pride Club would be the first time she had told anyone about it.

She felt that familiar slug in her throat that wouldn’t go away, but she knew she had to swallow it down and move towards telling everyone. No doubt this is how Catra felt before telling Adora so many months ago. It was hard for anyone to do.

But for Adora, it had to be done. It would be like a release of all the tension she had built up, and she would simply be able to live proud and free. She knew doing something like this wasn’t for everyone. But it was something she felt personally dedicated to.

And while she got lost in her thoughts, the bell rung and the class was dismissed.

Adora grabbed her bag and instantly dashed out of the room towards the Pride Club. Her heart racing and going hard in her chest, but she pushed through it no matter what. This was more important than anything else.

“Adora!” Double Trouble exclaimed as Adora entered the Pride Club. They hugged her tightly once she walked in, and Adora returned the hug. “It is so good to see you! Darling, you’re so early! Ah, I’ll take all the help I can get. I need these new posters up,” Double Trouble said as they handed a few large posters to Adora.

“What’s this for?” Adora asked.

“Well, my main focus for the Pride Club this semester is on the mental health of students, not just in this club, but all throughout the school,” Double Trouble responded.

“Oh? Tell me about it,” Adora asked as she went to put up a few posters.

“Oh, I’m glad you asked, darling,” Double Trouble started. “See, there’s so many people in general who struggle with their inner demons and it really breaks my heart. I noticed that the Pride Club is not just somewhere where we have a grand old gay time; though there’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s also a place to heal. So, I want more spaces like that throughout the school. Of course, more places for queer people to feel heard is fantastic, but also just any people who are struggling with the shit going on in their lives. Maybe getting those thoughts out can be the first step to healing… And we need to create more spaces in order for people to do that.”

“DT, you… you’re incredible,” Adora replied, putting a hand over her heart with a great smile on her face. “This space has been so amazing for me to figure shit out and to just… be. No judgement or anything.”

“And I want more places to be like that,” Double Trouble responded. “I want people who are struggling to feel safe about opening up if they want to. We all deserve a little chance to talk. The Pride Club is about us queer students being the absolute amazing people we are, yes, but it’s also about slowly learning to love yourself. At least, that’s how I intend it,” they smiled.

“I feel like you’re really going to help a lot of people, DT. Even after you graduate, you’re going to leave behind a legacy, I say. Creating an environment for people to breathe and be themselves,” Adora complimented. Double Trouble was used to compliments like that, but more than ever, this one seemed to affect them the most as their eyes welled up with small tears.

“Darling… Gah, stop, you’re going to make me ugly cry all over these shiny new posters!” Double Trouble sniffled, wiping their eyes clean of tears. “The staff always tell me how amazing I am for being the first non-binary student to run a club, but… I’ve always wanted to be more than that. So those words mean a lot, Adora. Thank you.”

Catra soon entered the club, followed by Bow, Perfuma and Huntara. Adora felt her heart rate speed up as Double Trouble started the meeting for the day, setting out all the chairs as everyone took a seat. “Welcome back, everyone! It is incredible to see you all still here!” Double Trouble spoke with a passionate smile. “I hope your holidays were fantastic. Did everyone get up to much?”

“I went to Mystacor with Adora, Bow and Glimmer,” Catra mentioned, smiling at Adora as she spoke.

“Oh, I heard!” Double Trouble spoke, glancing at Adora for a bit. “I saw a bunch of pics of the fireworks they showed on display there during New Years Eve and I was so jealous of you all.”

“Hey, next time we head down there, I’ll bring you all along,” Adora smiled.

“Oh, that would be lovely! I hear they have a few special types of flora, being so high up in the mountains, so I could really get such a close look at them!” Perfuma beamed, causing the room to just be that little bit brighter.

“So, before we dive into the session, does anyone have anything they want to mention?” Double Trouble opened up the room for announcements. Usually, it was very minimal discussion. However, this time, one person raised their hand high.

“I do,” Adora spoke up.

Her heart was beating faster than any of the times she did track or was at the gym. It felt like a cannon in her chest, and she was verging between excitement and being sick. However, she simply forced her way through all of these feelings as she cleared her throat. “I… did some soul searching during the holidays. As you all remember, a few months ago, I had no clue what I was. You were all incredibly patient with me, and I will always appreciate that. But… There were some events that occurred on the holidays… that really pushed me towards a recent discovery I made.”

Adora and Catra didn’t even have to glance at each other to know what she meant. Catra brought one leg up on her seat as Adora looked around the room. Those same comforting, patient and loving eyes looked at her. In this room, she never felt pressured, uncomfortable or unsafe. This room opened the world up to her. Adora felt a tingle in her chest. “So… everyone… I have an announcement to make. This is my first time telling anyone, and… it definitely won’t be the last.”

Adora cleared her throat, stood up, and spoke proudly.

“My name is Adora… and I am proud to say that I am a lesbian.”

Adora could feel a tide of emotion crash down on her as she spoke those words for the very first time. Ever since her kiss with Catra, she had slowly uncovered this part of her identity and she wanted to show it in the open. Purchasing the rainbow flag was the first step. She was ready to be out and open in the world, and she wanted to inspire others to feel safe to do so as well.

“Adora,” Double Trouble put their hands together. “I am… so proud of you. I’m so glad you were able to find yourself, and I’m just glad we were able to help you along the way. I… Gosh, Adora, I am so proud, darling!”

“It feels great, doesn’t it?” Bow smiled. “To discover this part of yourself that you could never quite pin down. You’re so amazing, Adora. I really, really admire you.”

“Oh, please let me hug you!” Perfuma leapt to her feet and Adora accepted the hug warmly, the two of them laughing. “Adora, more than anything, I simply hope you are proud of yourself. I’m glad you trusted us enough to be the first to come out to.”

“I agree,” Huntara added. “Take pride in this yourself. You’re freaking awesome, Adora. I’m proud of my girl.”

Adora could already feel the tears streaming down her cheeks as she separated from Perfuma, but eventually, she turned to Catra, who was wordless at this point. Slowly, Catra stood to her feet, facing the tearful Adora. The two of them exchanged small nods of understanding and recognition. They both knew how Adora came to this discovery. Even though it was a messy path, they walked through it together.

And so, Adora and Catra embraced in a warm hug as Adora sobbed happily. “I’m proud of you,” Catra whispered as they held each other closely, Catra running her hand through Adora’s long hair.

Adora could be in this hug forever and she’d be happy. Everything felt simply perfect about this moment, before finally, she sat down. “Thank… thank you all so much for being there for me on this journey,” Adora spoke through tears. “I never could have sorted this shit out without all of your help. DT, thank you for never giving up on me. You all have such a special place in my heart, and I will always cherish each and every one of you for being the people to help me get to where I am.”

“Oh, that reminds me!” Double Trouble suddenly lit up. They went into the closet quickly, before bringing out a small box. “The Pride Club was given a few pieces of merch to give out at the start of the school year for any new members, but since you joined so late, I forgot all about them… But…” Double Trouble suddenly fished out a small, rainbow bracelet. “Here. This is for you.”

Adora took the bracelet, and on it read the words ‘Honorary member of the queer society’. She felt a sense of home upon reading those words as she put the bracelet on, looking at the way it stuck out on her wrist. Adora sniffled. “Thank you…”

The weight of secrecy had been lifted from Adora’s shoulders. Though some confusion remained, and the knot was still tight, Adora was able to uncover a part of herself thanks to Double Trouble, Bow, Glimmer, Perfuma, Huntara and most of all, Catra. It was like a feeling of love that bloomed for all of them. Each of them helping her down this road, and she had finally reached a destination.

Most of all, Adora felt love for Catra. The girl who had been able to help most of all, whether she intended it or not. And for that, Adora knew she would be forever grateful. She rubbed the rainbow bracelet and sighed with joy.

Despite all the confusion, life felt good.

* * *

A few weeks passed after Adora’s coming out. The semester hadn’t allowed for much room in terms of anything else other than study, so Adora hadn’t been able to catch up with Catra as much. Still, she never left her mind.

Adora was worried about Catra today more than ever, though.

As the final bell rung out and Adora left the school, she noticed that the snow had gradually melted as Spring was coming in. The sun was finally visible after all this time, and the trees were slowly beginning to grow back their green leaves.

However, what Adora mostly noticed was Catra, sitting alone in a classroom on her phone. She was hunched over tight, and almost seemed like she wanted to hide herself. Adora wondered if it was safe to go over there. She never could quite tell when it was okay to see Catra or not.

However, before she could make a decision, Catra looked over her shoulder, almost sensing someone staring at her. She could instantly spot Adora out of a crowd, and when their eyes met, Adora didn’t look away. Catra looked, and slowly, her face lowered, and she looked to Adora pleadingly.

She needed a friend.

Adora walked over to the empty classroom immediately, placing her bag near the entrance. “Hey there,” she said to Catra as she sat at the desk next to her.

“Hey,” Catra mumbled. “Sorry if I’m holding you up. I just… needed a bit of company.”

“I’m always here for you, Catra,” Adora replied. “What’s going on?”

Catra sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. She had her phone in her other hand, and her text messages open as she tapped her finger against her forehead rapidly. “Normally, I’m used to the shit Shadow Weaver pulls. But… recently, combining that with all the stress about study… I think I just can’t handle it anymore, Adora. She’s been getting worse and worse ever since she saw my last test results.”

“I’m sorry…” Adora sighed, looking at her own hands. She always felt useless in these situations.

“I just… really don’t want to go back home tonight. I don’t want to see her. I was… hoping you could convince me otherwise or something,” Catra said. Adora immediately knew she had no feasible way of doing that, because in the first place, she wanted to get Catra far, far away from Shadow Weaver.

No advice was coming to mind for Adora, because any way of going home would just mean more torture for Catra. Instead, Adora’s mind switched to something else. She looked to Catra, and spoke slowly and genuinely. “I know I offered this before… but Catra, I… The option for you to move in with me is always there.”

“Adora, you don’t understand…” Catra sighed. “Shadow Weaver is… she would hound on you if I moved in. She’d want to make your life a living hell.”

“I don’t care,” Adora immediately responded. “I’m not going to force anything on you, Catra, but I am not a factor here. I don’t care what Shadow Weaver does to me or thinks of me. I will do anything to get you away from her.”

“You haven’t seen what I’ve seen… the things she’s capable of…” Catra shook her head.

“You’re right,” Adora replied. “I haven’t. But what I know for sure is if we’re together, nothing can stop us. You wouldn’t have to be alone anymore. Please. I’ll let you make your own decision, but I want you to know that I’m ready for it. It’s entirely up to you.”

Catra looked to Adora, and her expression never changed. She was clearly deep in thought about all of this, unsure about the future possibilities. But most of all, she was very much considering it. There were a lot of pros to moving in with Adora. Most of all, getting away from Shadow Weaver was the main one.

However, there was no telling of the things Shadow Weaver would do. The hurt she may cause to both of them. Adora said they were strong enough together, but Catra still had the doubt in her gut. The unsure feelings about the future. And so, she came to a decision.

“… I think me moving in is still off the table,” Catra responded. Adora felt her heart drop, but she nodded. “However… I really don’t want to go back to that house for a while. So I think I’ll stay with you tonight. At least, over the weekend. Maybe through exams. Just… however long I feel, I guess. Maybe it’ll help change my mind.”

Adora felt a sense of weightlessness in her body at those words. She was just happy Catra was going to be protected, at least for some time. “That’s fine with me. Hey, my bus is about to leave, so if you’re serious about this…”

Catra checked her phone quickly, before smirking and shutting it down. “Fuck it.”

Catra grabbed her bag, and Adora did the same as they hopped on the same bus together, finding two empty seats next to each other. Catra got a few weird stares, with some people having never seen her on this bus before, but Catra had gotten used to the stares by now.

She sat next to Adora, and the two looked at each other. They knew their decision was going to be difficult, but they also knew they had each other, and they could be strong. Plus, it wasn’t completely permanent yet.

Adora pulled out her phone and headphones, and they shared one ear bud each, listening to the acoustic guitar of Adora’s playlist as they went home to Adora’s apartment.

* * *

Despite all the excitement, the next three hours after they arrived at Adora’s apartment was mostly involving various forms of study and homework. Adora at her books on her desk and Catra mostly trying to focus as she sat on the floor.

The sun set over the course of time, and filled the apartment with a beautiful red aura, before the world started to darken. It was only until Adora couldn’t see the words she was writing down did she realize how long she had been studying for. She sat back in her chair and stretched her arms above her head.

“I… think I’m done for the night,” Adora yawned as Catra stood up, stretching out her legs.

“I really need to learn better discipline… I always get distracted by… everything,” Catra chuckled. “Of course, I can’t even discipline myself to learn discipline so…”

“Oh, never change, Catra,” Adora smiled as she turned on the light in the apartment. She checked her phone quickly for any notifications, but only found a few from recent posts she had made on social media.

“I like the flag, by the way,” Catra mentioned, nodding to the rainbow flag on the wall. “It really fits.”

“It’s been there for a few weeks so I’ve gotten used to it. I just needed to scream ‘I’m gay!’ into the world and that was the best way to do it before I came out to everyone,” Adora smiled as Catra softly laughed. Adora could listen to her laugh for ages.

“So…” Catra pondered for a few seconds. “Do we have any plans for dinner tonight?”

“On Friday I usually order delivery from somewhere nearby. There’s this place nearby that has the best noodles, so I usually get stuff from there. I can show you the menu, if you’d like?” Adora offered as she sat down on the couch, going to the website of that nearby restaurant in order to make an online order.

“Sure. Is it on the fridge?” Catra asked as she went over to the kitchen.

“Yeah. Pretty much at the top,” Adora said as she added her usual order in for food. She had to take a few moments to process that she was going to have dinner with Catra. It almost felt like a date. A weird date, for sure, but it felt like one nonetheless.

Still. They were friends. Adora had slowly resigned herself to that fact over time, but the feelings of love she had never quite went away. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t subdue them. She could hide them well, but the way her heart raced whenever she was near Catra was something that always stuck with her.

“I think I’ll have the same thing as you,” Catra said, and Adora added one more of the same item to their online order. As Adora sent the order, Catra sat down next to her and checked her text messages quickly.

“Anything from Shadow Weaver?” Adora asked, and Catra shook her head.

“I’m mostly ignoring her this weekend. I just… want her out of my mind for a while so I can focus on other shit,” Catra sighed. She turned to Adora. “Like… what are we going to binge tonight? I haven’t been able to watch anything in ages…”

“Well, the second season of that show you really liked came out. The one with all the queer superheroes and such,” Adora smiled, and Catra’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Is that one with the actress that I said I’d date consensually?! Oh, fuck yes!” Catra cheered, and Adora felt her heart instantly warm up upon seeing Catra so happy like this after a while. It spoke volumes of how safe she felt being so far away from danger.

“… It’s good to see you smile, Catra,” Adora commented, and Catra almost immediately blushed, clearing her throat as she slowly calmed herself.

“You’re mocking me, aren’t you?” She asked, and Adora waved her hands defensively.

“No, no, no! I swear, I’m not! I’m just… you smiling makes me feel so happy. It really feels like the world gets a little bit brighter when you smile,” Adora complimented. Even with red flushed on her face, Catra couldn’t hide her lips curving into the shape Adora always loved.

“You always know exactly how to embarrass me, huh?” Catra asked, and Adora smirked.

“It’s one of my superpowers,” she spoke with a smug tone as she opened her streaming site on the small TV and started the first episode of the second season of that series.

Just as entertaining as the show was Catra’s reactions. Adora had never seen Catra so full of emotions as when she was binging a show they loved. She was completely enthralled in the characters, the world, the story and especially the twists.

Catra really was a nerd.

This season was no different. Catra was happy to see characters returning, climatic battles ensue, and dramatic plot points reveal. She watched wordlessly almost the entire time, only letting a gasp or some laughter escape every now and then. Seeing Catra like this made Adora realize how much she loved her.

Adora had to keep reminding herself that their love was never meant to be. That a relationship would ruin things right now, and that it just had to be subdued.

About halfway into the third episode, a knock sounded at Adora’s door. It was around eight o’clock at night as she got their food from delivery. Two steaming bowls of noodles and a drink for her and Catra to enjoy as Catra went over to the kitchen to grab utensils.

“Those smell REALLY good,” Catra said as she headed back to the living room to sit next to Adora.

“They taste even better,” Adora said as she handed Catra her bowl. They both grabbed some chopsticks and dug into their meal at the same time. The way the noodles were cooked, combined with the vegetables and broth, all combined in a symphony of love and warmth as they both felt a little more alive. “See?”

“Holy shit, these are amazing,” Catra said quickly as she started slurping noodles even faster.

“I told you. Don’t go choking on them now,” Adora teased as Catra rolled her eyes, hitting play as they continued to watch the show.

Catra did eat her food quite fast. It made Adora wonder how long it had been since she had a full proper meal. She wondered if Shadow Weaver ever cooked for her, or if Catra cooked for herself. She wondered if Catra even ate much. She hadn’t seen Catra with much food before, after all.

But for now, Catra was already halfway done with her noodles. Adora could at least be thankful for that.

The binging went late into the night, almost five hours passing until the girls realized it was nearing two in the morning. Catra had completely lost track of time and Adora was mostly enthralled by both the story and Catra’s reactions. After the credits rolled on yet another episode, Adora looked over to see Catra stretching her arms.

“You liking it so far?” Adora asked, and Catra immediately nodded.

“We need to finish this over the weekend. This is such a step up from season one,” Catra smiled. “I guess watching it with a friend helps too.”

The word ‘friend’ stung a little bit. Adora could feel her heart grow cold, but she had to push through. She had to do it for Catra. “Well… I’m gonna grab a shower before bed myself. I assume you’re okay if we share a bed tonight?”

“Fine by me,” Catra responded. “I might just clean up the dishes a bit.”

Grabbing her pyjamas, Adora went over to the bathroom as Catra went to the kitchen. Once a door was between them, Adora took the chance to catch her breath. Being around Catra for so long was seriously such a thrill that she had to remind herself to calm down every now and then.

She ran the shower quickly and undressed herself, stepping into the steaming hot water. She liked the shower to be a bit on the hot side. It helped burn away the troubles of the week. Adora leaned against the wall and heard the sounds of Catra in the kitchen.

It was nice. She could shower and completely relax, knowing Catra was merely in her apartment, doing dishes and getting ready to sleep in that apartment. For at least this weekend, Catra could think about something other than what Shadow Weaver was going to do next.

Adora washed her hair quickly as well, before stepping out of the steaming hot shower and drying her body off. She had to keep her mind away from the last time she showered near Catra. Though, now it was mostly a funny memory more than anything.

Adora changed into some loose pyjama shorts and a singlet and exited the bathroom to find Catra sitting on her bed, scrolling through her social media. “Hey,” Adora said as she sat next to Catra.

“Hey yourself,” Catra responded. Catra, too, was wearing shorts and a loose shirt. They both dressed for comfort in bed, and Adora couldn’t help but blush at the fact she was going to share a bed with Catra again. The last two times were mostly out of comfort. This time was just because they wanted to.

“So… can I ask you something?” Catra spoke up.

“What’s up?” Adora replied.

“Well… I’ve been kinda curious… and it didn’t feel right to ask, but now that it’s been a few weeks…” Catra put her phone down and turned her head to face Adora, a shy smile appearing on her face. “What did you think of our kiss back in Mystacor?”

Adora’s eyes widened, and she felt her throat tighten almost immediately. Butterflies sprinkled all throughout her chest as she took a small chance to take a breath. Catra always found a way to steal all the oxygen from her lungs. “Well… it was my first kiss, and I hear they’re pretty awkward. But… it felt good.”

“Good? Is that it?” Catra smirked.

“Well, I don’t know! Great? Fantastic?” Adora threw her hands in the air, chuckling.

“Maybe life changing?” Catra raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, you’re giving yourself a bit too much credit here,” Adora scoffed, and Catra giggled to herself. “But… I liked it. A lot. Um… I think about it a lot, too.”

Catra looked away from Adora and the two avoided eye contact. “… You do?” Catra asked. Adora nodded, looking at her feet.

“Yeah. Um… It just… it was nice, you know? Sorry, is that weird?” Adora asked, worrying if she was scaring Catra too much. However, Catra simply shook her head.

“I think about it a lot too, Adora. Like… I know I freaked out, but… I… I really, really wanted to do it again,” Catra admitted. Adora’s eyes widened. She had no idea Catra felt the exact same way as she did. Her heart began to race.

“I mean… what’s… what’s stopping you?” Adora asked. Catra’s head immediately shot up as her face flushed red.

“We’re friends! I mean… if we kissed, then… wouldn’t things just be weird?” Catra asked, and Adora nodded, trying to hide her expression from Catra. “… But… I don’t think… friends is right for us…”

Adora almost immediately looked up. “What… do you mean by that?”

“Well, we became friends because… a relationship might screw things up,” Catra pointed out. “But… and this may just be me… but every time I look at you, I get the urge to kiss you again. You’re a great friend to me, Adora. But… my heart… it just can’t help wanting more. But I know, in order for us to be safe, we… have to stay like this. As friends.”

Adora pondered for a few seconds. “… We’re not being safe now, are we?” She said. “I mean… you’re gonna stay with me over the weekend against Shadow Weaver’s wishes. You ran away from home and you don’t even know if you’re gonna go back. I don’t think we’ve ever really cared about safety.”

“… When you say it like that…” Catra scoffs. “You almost make it sound like you WANT to kiss me.”

Adora swallowed, and took a sudden breath. “Maybe because I do.”

Catra didn’t show much of a reaction at first. She stared at the floor, but eventually, turned her eyes to Adora. “If we do this… it’s risky. You know that, right?” Catra asked.

Adora nodded. “I’ve been weighing it up. Between the risk of staying as friends and… what would happen if I kissed you again. I’m sorry, but… these feelings in my heart, they just keep building and building, Catra…” Adora whispered.

Catra slowly nodded. “I’ve been feeling the same way… but… I didn’t want to hurt you… I didn’t want to hurt us…”

Adora and Catra stared into each other’s eyes on that bed. Their hearts were beating a mile a minute, and it was almost like they were leaping at each other. Their breathing was fast and panicked, and they could see the droplets in each other’s eyes.

It had been building to this. The feelings that were rising in their hearts could never be kept down. Maybe if one of them didn’t return those feelings, it could be subdued into nothingness. But now, it grew even bigger than ever before. They couldn’t hold back.

“Catra…” Adora sighed, her breath coming out in shudders. “I love you. I love you so much.”

Catra put a knee on the bed, turning her body to Adora as a smile appeared on her blushing face. “I love you too, Adora. I… I really, really love you. More than words could describe.”

Both girls felt like they were going to explode. Their love was out in the open. Their hearts were bare. Their chests were fluttered with butterflies. And they both knew there was only one thing left to do.

Adora slowly raised her hand and rested it on Catra’s cheek. “Then…” Adora spoke.

“Why don’t you change my life… with this kiss?”

It was less than a second, but eventually, Catra and Adora kissed on that bed.

Their lips met in a blaze of passion much hotter than the one they had back in Mystacor. Both of Adora’s hands rested on Catra’s cheeks as they kissed. They closed their eyes as Catra ran a hand through Adora’s silky hair, tasting the girl she loved so much.

It didn’t stop. No matter what they did, they felt no need to break this lock of fire. Adora put a hand on the back of Catra’s head, pulling her deeper into the kiss. It was gradual, but eventually, they laid down on the bed. Adora laying on her back with Catra on top of her.

Catra ran a hand down Adora’s cheek as they finally separated for air, both girls panting. They pressed their foreheads together, never having felt this amount of heat before in their entire lives. “I love you,” Adora panted, wanting to say it as much as she can. “I love you.”

“I love you so fucking much, it hurts,” Catra said, leaning down to kiss Adora’s neck. Adora felt an odd mix of ticklish and pleasure at this sudden move, running a hand through Catra’s messy hair as she grit her teeth, letting out shudders of breath.

Catra’s lips returned to Adora’s quickly. They could not bare to be without each other. They needed each other. Adora needed every single part of Catra. She needed her smile, her laughter, her relaxed nature, her positivity, her support, her love, and her body. Adora felt like Catra gave her everything she had ever needed. Like Catra was a part of herself she couldn’t be without.

Suddenly, Catra gently bit at Adora’s bottom lip and pulled slightly, before letting it go. She stared down at Adora, panting as Adora laughed. “What… what was that?” Adora asked.

“I saw it in a movie once. I thought it was meant to be sexy, but that… kinda felt weird, to be honest,” Catra laughed.

“You really don’t have to try to be sexy. Trust me,” Adora smiled. The two girls simply smiled at each other, and slowly, they melted down into laughter as they embraced each other on that bed. Adora loved her laugh. So much.

They looked at each other a bit more. The droplets in each other’s eyes. The softness of their kiss. It all felt… perfect.

They kissed yet again, and Adora’s hand slid down Catra’s back as they deepened the level of passion even further than they could ever imagine. The fire in that room grew even hotter and hotter, and they both embraced the heat.

The love that they shared had finally been given life. It was all they ever wanted.


	9. Festival

Adora blinked rapidly upon awakening and wondered if it was all a dream.

She looked out the window to her right, wiping the sleep out of her eye with her thumb and index finger as she sighed. The sun was bright and it shined right on her face, which seemed to be the reason she awoke. It must’ve been nearing midday.

As she went to sit up, she suddenly felt a weight on her right side and glanced to see Catra lying naked next to her, her arm wrapped around Adora’s bare chest. “Oh right…” Adora scoffed, finally remembering the events that transpired last night.

Well, it wasn’t that she forgot. More that she couldn’t believe it was real.

Last night had evolved into a night of intense passion for the two of them, but all Adora could remember was a blur after she had shared her second kiss with Catra. It felt like a pure bliss for hours on end, and she truly never wanted it to stop.

Catra felt Adora sit up, and slowly, she awoke too. Her eyes slowly adjusting to the light as she blinked and saw Adora looking down at her. A sleepy smile crawled onto her face. “Hey Adora…” Catra mumbled, reaching out to stroke Adora’s cheek.

“Hey there,” Adora snuggled up to Catra’s hand. “How’d you sleep after… all that?” Adora asked with a chuckle.

“Fuck…” Catra rubbed her eyes, slowly waking up as she stared at the ceiling. “You were all sweaty so it made it hard to cuddle up to you, but… I think I got there eventually. Things got really crazy, huh?” Catra chuckled.

“You’re telling me…” Adora slowly swung her legs over the bed, placing her feet on the soft floor as she ran a hand through her long hair. “Did you… enjoy it?”

Catra knelt behind Adora and hugged her from behind, sending tingles down Adora’s spine as Catra’s arms draped over her shoulders. “If I had the powers, I would want to live in that moment for the rest of my life. I loved every second.”

Adora smiled. “I love you, Catra. I loved last night too.”

Adora turned her head and placed a hand on Catra’s cheek, and the two girls shared another kiss. Adora still felt the familiar flutters of butterflies in her chest every time she kissed Catra, but she could honestly get used to this. It was like a little piece of heaven every single time she pressed her lips against Catra’s. “I love you too,” Catra returned. “I would say we should get some breakfast… but technically, I think it’s around lunchtime.”

“Shit, it is?” Adora asked, checking her phone quickly to confirm that it was half past twelve. “Whoops.”

“I’ve never slept in so much… But I think it was worth it. It’s only Saturday, after all,” Catra shrugged. Adora stood to her feet, picking up her and Catra’s clothing off the floor and placing it in a basket for washing as Catra went over to her bag.

“Do you have any spare clothes? I can lend you some,” Adora offered, but Catra waved a hand in dismissal.

“I always carry a few extra around in case I… don’t need to come home for a bit. I run away more often than you might think so I’m always prepared,” Catra said as she fished out some clothes for warm weather. The outside looked beautiful today as the sun beamed into the apartment.

“Remember when we had that whole thing about you seeing me naked back in Mystacor?” Adora scoffed. “That just seems funny now.”

“I wish there was some way to tell past Catra ‘hey, don’t freak out, but in a couple of months you are totally going to sleep with that girl’. It makes me wonder what her reaction would be,” Catra reminisced. “She’d probably border between excitement and having a panic attack.”

“I didn’t know you always had a crush on me,” Adora raised an eyebrow. “Am I just that good looking that you fell in love at first sight?”

“Okay, control your ego there,” Catra smirked. “I think… it was when we hugged after you won your race. That’s when I knew, and it freaked me out. Crushing on your straight best friend is a nightmare, and I had no idea if you were straight or not in the first place, so… it was even more nerve wracking.”

“I’m… sorry it took me so long to figure out,” Adora moped, but Catra immediately stood up.

“No, no, no! It’s fine, Adora! I swear I was never sitting around waiting for you to figure it out or anything. I’m just saying… it’s hard to control your feelings when you’re a lesbian disaster like me,” Catra chuckled. Adora smiled at her girlfriend.

Girlfriend. That was a word she could use now. Right?

“… Hey Catra?” Adora asked. Catra looked up as she put a loose shirt on. “This might be really stupid to ask but… we’re a thing now, right?”

“Thank god you asked first, because I was kinda wondering the same thing. I mean… I’d say we are,” Catra shrugged, a soft smile on her face.

“I’d say the same,” Adora replied. “So… you’re my girlfriend now.”

“Yeah. We’re… girlfriends,” Catra spoke deliberately. “My girlfriend is… Adora. Huh. That just feels normal to say now. I guess I fantasized over it so much that it just feels right.”

“You… fantasized over this?” Adora asked, a small smirk appearing on her face as Catra’s cheeks flushed red.

“Okay, okay, don’t get ahead of yourself! SOMETIMES I dreamed about dating you…” She twiddled her thumbs together as she looked at the floor. “Among… other things…”

“What other things?” Adora had a complete shit eating grin as she knew exactly how much she was embarrassing Catra.

“Oh, you already know, don’t play dumb!” Catra snapped as Adora laughed. “Why do you always feel the need to embarrass me like that?!”

“Because it’s funny!” Adora laughed, wiping the tears of joy from her eyes. As much as Catra didn’t feel like being nice at the moment, she couldn’t help but smile at how cute Adora’s laugh was. It was the more pure sound Catra could think of.

“So… where do you feel like going to for breakfast/lunch?” Adora asked as she put on a sleeveless shirt. “I’m easy. It’s really your choice.”

“Well…” Catra pondered for a few moments. “What about the café I work at? I mean, the food options they have aren’t half bad…”

“Sounds good to me,” Adora smiled as she tied her hair into its familiar ponytail. She grabbed her keys and phone as she and Catra headed out, going down the elevator and into the bright day. It was the warmest weather they felt in a long while, almost soothing the skin and warming their hearts.

As they left the apartment building, Catra whispered to Adora. “So… I know we just got together a few hours ago, but… do you feel like holding hands?”

Adora didn’t really need much time to think about that one as her right hand reached for Catra’s left. Their fingers intertwined as they walked down the street for a few blocks. It felt like an expression to hold hands so publicly. But neither of them cared what anyone else thought.

Adora had been coming out a lot recently about her sexuality, so in a way, this was just another form of it. She felt proud of her relationship with Catra, and she wanted to express it to the entire world. Her love was for all to see, and she had never been happier about it.

The café was a short distance away, and upon arriving, Catra noticed a few of her usual co-workers inside. She hesitated for a bit, her hand tightening around Adora’s. “You okay?” Adora asked.

Catra nodded. “Yeah… I just hope things don’t get weird…” Catra took a breath, and stepped into the café, hand in hand with Adora.

“There she is!” One of her co-workers called out upon spotting her. “Oh, and who’s that you’ve got there?”

Catra noticed the glances of not just the co-workers, but also the customers. It made her heart run fast, but nonetheless, she kept her grip on Adora’s hand. Adora squeezed Catra’s hand in an attempt to comfort her.

“This… is Adora,” Catra nodded to her. “She’s my girlfriend.”

Catra glanced at every single reaction in the room, especially that of her co-workers. She was met with a smile from almost every one of them. “Well that’s great! Tell me, was it the great coffees she made or was it another factor that made her appealing to you?” The co-worker asked Adora.

“Well, I mean… it was kind of a lot of things, but the good coffee is a plus,” Adora chuckled.

“Tell you what, we’ll put this order on the house for you two,” the co-worker offered, and Catra smiled.

“We appreciate it. I’ll go and order for us,” Catra told Adora. “You can find a seat for us this time.”

Adora nodded, separating from Catra as she went to find a booth near the window. As she did, she felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket as she received a text message. Adora pulled her phone as she sat down, opening her text app.

 **SparkleSparklesss:** Hey there! I hope study period is treating you alright. I know Spring break is in a couple of weeks so I wanted to invite you to something if you’ve got the time?

Glimmer usually had plans for Spring break and they were almost always a blast, just like with Winter break. Adora typed a message back as Catra had a chat with her co-workers whilst waiting for the food.

 **Adorablyscary33:** Sure! I’m just having lunch with Catra at the moment. What have you got in mind?

Adora remembered she’d have to tell her friends about her new relationship. She wondered how they’d react, though she’d assume they’d be completely supporting of it, considering how much everyone talked about their flirting.

 **SparkleSparklesss:** There’s an amazing festival going on with a theme park and markets and all, and it sounds great! I’ll send you the details soon. We’ve got a bunch of people from that Pride Club coming along too, so you’d fit right in! What do you say?

“Who’re you texting?” Catra asked as she carried a few mugs of coffee over, as well as a couple of plates of food. She seemed to have mixed both breakfast and lunch together into a combination that oddly worked.

“Glimmer was inviting us to a festival over Spring break. Take a look,” Adora explained, handing her phone to Catra to scan through pictures. There was Ferris Wheels, rollercoasters, food stands, market places, and a beach nearby to top it off. Most of it taking place in the afternoon until late at night.

“That sounds awesome! I’m totally down for that,” Catra smiled as she handed the phone back to Adora.

“Great, I’ll let them know we’re coming,” Adora said as she responded to Glimmer.

 **Adorablyscary33:** Catra and I would love to come along! Thank you so much!

“So…” Catra took a drink of her coffee. “When should we tell them? About… us?”

“I mean… It’s not like I’m ashamed of us, so I don’t really care how many people know. I’m just wondering if we should make a big deal out of it or not,” Adora scratched the back of her head as Catra put her elbow on the table, tapping her index finger against her chin.

“To be honest, I feel like a lot of people assumed that about us, anyway. So… we can just be chill about it, right?” Catra shrugged.

“I don’t think it matters too much,” Adora put her hand on the table and Catra put her hand over Adora’s. “As long as we have each other, that’s all that really matters.”

Catra smiled as she stroked her thumb over the top of Adora’s hand, before bringing the hand to her lips and laying a kiss on it. “I love you,” Catra said.

“I love you too,” Adora responded. She didn’t care how many times she said it, because it always sent tingles down her spine and filled her chest with joy.

Catra’s phone suddenly started to vibrate in her back pocket, and she noticed it was a call. She pulled her phone to see who it was from, and sighed. She showed Adora the caller.

“Shadow Weaver…” Adora spoke quietly. “Are you… going to pick up?”

Catra pondered for a few seconds, before eventually deciding to answer, pressing the phone against her ear, whilst her other hand held onto Adora’s tightly. “Hey mom… Yeah, I know I wasn’t home last night. I didn’t feel like dealing with it last night.”

Adora rubbed her thumb over Catra’s palm as she spoke. “I’m fine, mom… I had a place to stay. In fact, I’m probably going to stay there for a while. I think we need some time apart. Last time I was at home, you…” Catra glanced at Adora, and cleared her throat. “Yes, it did hurt a lot, mom. Just because you’re not hitting me every night doesn’t mean you’re not hurting me. I wish you’d fucking understand how much the shit you do to me hurts.”

Adora’s eyes widened as she suddenly saw Catra scowl at the call. “No, you know what? I’m not taking this shit anymore. You don’t get to control me. I’m sorry I’m not perfect, but you need to learn to accept me, or otherwise, I don’t need you in my life. I’m surrounded by a lot of people who love me, and I’m deciding to trim the fat, and you are first on my list. You better change your priorities quick, or I’m done with you.”

Adora felt an odd sense of pride in Catra, but also a heightened level of fear at these comments. Catra’s eyebrows were narrowing and she was gritting her teeth. “Actually, mom, I really don’t want to deal with this right now. Maybe I’ll come back, maybe I won’t. I’m sick of being used by you. Don’t try to contact me. Oh, and lastly? Fuck. You.”

With that, Catra suddenly hung up on Shadow Weaver and let out a deep, shuddered breath, staring at the phone in her hand. “… Holy shit, Catra,” Adora whispered as Catra scoffed.

“I don’t care anymore, Adora. I’m sick of her. I just… want her out of my life. I mean, I have you, don’t I? Why should I rely on her anymore?” Catra sighed. “I’m sorry… for dragging you into this.”

Adora intertwined her fingers with Catra’s and shook her head. “I love you. I’m proud of you for standing up to her. I’ll always be here for you, okay?”

Catra pondered for a few seconds, her face stuck in a frown, but eventually, she returned the grip and smiled. “I love you too. Thank you…”

Catra leaned over the table, and the two shared a brief kiss as they closed their eyes. The kiss was small, but with it, they sealed their bond with each other. They had to sever Shadow Weaver from their lives and move towards a brighter future.

They just didn’t know how hard that was going to be.

* * *

Tests came and went.

It had been a couple of weeks since Catra had decided to temporarily live with Adora, but recently, that was starting to seem more and more permanent. They were very much getting used to each other’s company.

But thanks to the blaze of studying in the last couple of weeks before Spring break, they didn’t get much time to spend around each other. Their nights usually consisted of studying, cooking dinner, watching some shows and falling asleep in each other’s arms. Not a bad life, per se.

They still hadn’t come out about their relationship. They didn’t know when the time was right to do so, despite their casual behavior about it. Sooner or later, they knew it would have to be exposed to the world.

However, the festival seemed like the right time.

Adora and Catra waited outside the front of the festival gates. It was five in the afternoon as the sun set on the ocean horizon. In the distance was a large boardwalk, where a few people jumped off into the ocean. The world was basked in a deep orange as Catra sat on top of a bench and Adora leaned against a wall.

The first to arrive was Bow and Glimmer. “There you are!” Bow called out upon spotting the girls, rushing over to them.

“Hey there!” Adora greeted as she hugged both Bow and Glimmer. “How good does it feel to be free of tests again?”

“I’ve been waiting for spring break for so long,” Glimmer groaned. “I don’t even want to think about those tests right now. The last time I got results, I cried myself to sleep for a week…”

“There, there. We shall make it through this together,” Bow rubbed Glimmer’s shoulder as she leaned her head on him.

“Did you manage to catch any of the Pride Club?” Catra asked, but just as she said that, a familiar voice sounded in the distance.

“Hey, y’all!” Double Trouble called out as they walked alongside Perfuma and Huntara. “Sorry we’re a tad late, our subway ride got a bit delayed.”

Adora went to hug Double Trouble. “You look amazing, DT!” Adora complimented their loose singlet and the denim jeans they were wearing as they put a hand over their cheek.

“Gosh, you always make me blush, darling,” Double Trouble smiled as Adora shared a hug with Perfuma.

“Did you have to take care of these delicate flowers?” Catra asked Huntara in reference to Perfuma and Double Trouble, and she simply shrugged.

“They knew their way around better than me. When it comes to the city, I am not great with directions,” Huntara responded.

“You and me both,” Catra shared a chuckle with Huntara. “Oh, before we head in, there’s… something Adora and I wanted to announce.”

All eyes turned to Adora and Catra as they glanced at each other. They had talked about this an hour beforehand, and had decided that the time was now to reveal themselves. “So… a few weeks ago, Catra started staying at my place for personal reasons. Nothing permanent yet, but… While she was there, we… grew a bit attached to each other,” Adora explained as red slowly crept on her face.

Adora and Catra’s hands linked together and they both smiled. “We’ve been together for a couple of weeks now, so… we just hope you’re all as happy as we are. I really love this girl,” Catra kissed Adora’s hand.

“That wasn’t part of the script!” Adora accused Catra as her face flushed red and Catra laughed. Double Trouble was the first to respond.

“Aww, you two! You remind me so much of Spinnerella and Netossa! Oh, congratulations!” Double Trouble gave a small clap.

“See? I told you that bringing them to Mystacor would do this to them!” Bow spoke with a smug look to Glimmer, who simply rolled her eyes.

“Congratulations to you two,” Glimmer smiled, poking her tongue out at Bow.

“I kinda had a feeling there was something going on with you girls. You never stopped flirting at the Pride Club,” Huntara chuckled.

Perfuma opted to hug the two of them together, squeezing them tight. “You are an amazing couple and we will do everything we can to love and support you two!” Perfuma beamed as both Adora and Catra blushed.

“Thank you… all of you… it means a lot to know we have people that have our backs. Though, we were never in doubt,” Adora smiled as she gripped Catra’s hand. “Anyway… enough about us. Let’s head in, shall we?”

As everyone went on ahead, Catra looked to Adora. “You did good. I could tell you were a bit nervous. I was, too.”

“Well, when I have you, fear just… goes out the window. I would really do anything for you,” Adora smiled. Upon hearing those words, Catra kissed Adora on the cheek and held her hand tighter.

“You are the cutest little flirt. Now come on, you need to win me a prize at one of these game stands, or we’re breaking up,” Catra joked as she walked with Adora towards the many stalls. They were surprised to find how many people were already here, as lamps lit up the place and music blasted throughout the festival for Spring break.

To no one’s surprise, many of the people here were students who recently got off school, so there was plenty of celebration to be found. It really just did a better job at lifting the general mood of the place more than anything.

And really, everyone felt safe as long as Huntara was around. Even Adora, who worked out often, could admit that she’d want to be protected by her.

“Here’s one!” Catra immediately tugged Adora towards one specific game stand. “Seems you have to shoot down a certain amount of cups. If you get them all down, you get the grand prize of…” Catra’s eyes instantly lit up. “A giant freaking teddy bear!”

“And you can’t do this yourself because…?” Adora asked.

“Because in every romance movie, you have to win something for your partner to make a cute scene, now get me a giant teddy bear already!” Catra demanded, causing Adora to chuckle as she stepped up to pay for a ticket.

It was rifle that shot rubber darts, but for Catra’s excitement, Adora would do just about anything. “Remember, if you don’t win that teddy, we’re breaking up!” Catra called out.

“Your support is greatly appreciated!” Adora returned as she aimed the toy gun carefully. There were three stacks of cups, and she only had three darts to shoot. She aimed carefully for near the bottom of the stack, and fired the first dart, completely collapsing one stack.

“One out of three! I believe in you, Adora!” Catra cheered as Adora felt a surge of confidence. She aimed at the stack of cups to the left, and took a deep breath to steady her aim, before pulling the trigger and collapsing the second stack.

“Come on, one more…” Catra bounced about as Adora aimed at the final stack. She glanced at the gigantic teddy bear once again, and steadied her arms…

She fired, and the stack fell.

Catra let out a howl of excitement as Adora blew the imaginary smoke of the end of the gun, feeling quite proud of herself. Winning a prize for your girlfriend was usually a pretty great step in a relationship as Catra was handed the gigantic, purple teddy bear.

“You happy now?” Adora asked as Catra hugged the gigantic teddy bear close.

“We have adopted our child. I shall name them… Fuzzle Wuzzle,” Catra spoke with a serious tone in her voice as Adora laughed. “Don’t laugh at our child! It hurts their feelings!”

“Sorry, Fuzzle Wuzzle,” Adora apologized to the teddy bear, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes as Catra scoffed.

“Like they’d forgive you. They clearly know that I am the best mom,” Catra spoke with a sense of pride, and Adora shook her head as Catra walked away with the giant teddy in her arm.

“So now that we have adopted Fuzzle Wuzzle, is there anything you’d like to try next?” Adora asked as Catra reached out and grabbed Adora’s hand to hold.

“Oh, there you two are!” They heard Double Trouble’s voice in the distance. “Come over here! We’re about to get a group photo taken!”

Adora and Catra noticed the Pride Club all standing in front of a white wallpaper and they quickly rushed over. “Um… what have you got there?” Huntara asked upon seeing the teddy bear.

“Their name is Fuzzle Wuzzle and they are our child, thank you very much,” Catra spoke as Adora rolled her eyes.

“Oh, before you take the pic!” Double Trouble spoke to the photographer, going through their backpack and finding a small rainbow flag. “Everyone, take a hold of this,” Double Trouble threw the pride flag to Perfuma at the other end of the group, and she held it up for the camera as everyone bunched together.

Adora glanced at the group next to her. What used to be just Bow and Glimmer had grown to include so many people he had shared raw emotion with, and people she had grown to truly love. The Pride Club started off as a distant area to her that she would never be allowed in, but now, it was like family to her.

Adora easily smiled for the camera as their pictures were taken. In the middle of the picture, Catra suddenly turned her head and kissed Adora on the cheek, causing Adora to laugh as her face went red. “Now I’m gonna look all embarrassed on camera!” Adora said.

“And you’ll look just as cute,” Catra winked. The photographs were printed for everyone to see.

Whilst everyone was smiling, Catra was kissing Adora on the cheek and her eyes had definitely widened in that moment, looking quite surprised and mostly hilarious. Adora felt her face flush an even deeper shade of red, but she couldn’t help to admit she loved the photo.

“I love our group mascot,” Bow pointed to Fuzzle Wuzzle.

“Adora and Catra’s child will be the future of the Pride Club!” Double Trouble declared, and Catra held Fuzzle Wuzzle high and proud.

“Alright, you dork, let’s go before you humiliate me any more,” Adora chuckled as she walked towards the Ferris Wheel.

“Are you saying our child embarrasses you?” Catra accused.

“No, I’m saying you’re the embarrassing mom,” Adora teased. Catra simply smirked at that statement.

“That just means I’m the BEST mom!” Catra declared as they approached the large Ferris Wheel. It seemed to be mostly empty at the moment, so Catra, Adora and Fuzzle Wuzzle were able to find a spot pretty easily in one cart.

They stepped in as the Ferris Wheel kept going, and Catra placed Fuzzle Wuzzle next to her. “Honestly? I can see the appeals of warmer weather now. I think it just makes everyone smile a little bit more,” Catra commented.

“Well, really, I’m smiling because I have you. I don’t really care what the weather’s like,” Adora explained as the Ferris Wheel raised them high into the air. They turned to see the sun sinking below the ocean horizon, slowly taking away the orange afternoon and replacing it with a starry night.

“… Hey Adora?” Catra asked. “I… think we should probably talk about the whole ‘moving in’ thing. It’s been a couple of weeks and now I just feel like a freeloader…”

“Catra, I offered to let you stay with me for as long as you liked. It is your decision if you want to move in, and together, I think we can upgrade to a better place. But don’t feel like you’re taking advantage of me,” Adora smiled as she put a hand on Catra’s shoulder. “I love you. Whether we’re flatmates or you’re just here for a bit, I don’t mind. Having the girl I love in my life is all I’ve ever wanted.”

Catra put a hand over Adora’s. “I haven’t spoken with Shadow Weaver ever since I told her to… you know. So… moving in might become an actual thing soon,” Catra responded.

“Is Shadow Weaver making you nervous?” Adora asked, and Catra frowned for a bit.

“I… I really don’t know. I’ve never gone this long being away from her, so… it makes me feel weird. I want to say she’s given up on me, but… she’s not like that,” Catra sighed. “I’d… really rather not think about that right now.”

“Right. I’m sorry,” Adora apologized. Catra leaned towards Adora and pressed her forehead against hers.

“It’s okay. I love you. I’m happy to be with you, and I want her to be the furthest thing from my mind,” Catra explained as she put a hand on Adora’s cheek. As the Ferris Wheel overlooked the city and the ocean, Catra and Adora shared a tender, loving kiss.

They were getting better at it, too. The way their lips met felt more and more like home each and every time they embraced. Catra softly separated from Adora, still staring into the droplets in her eyes before she leaned back.

“Sorry you had to see that, Fuzzle Wuzzle. Your moms are helpless romantics,” Catra hugged the teddy bear and Adora laughed as the cart slowly approached the ground. They stepped off and into the festival yet again as Catra looked around.

“So what do you want to do next? I mean, there’s so much… That rollercoaster looks amazing,” Adora pointed to it in the distance, nudging Catra on the shoulder. However, Catra didn’t respond. She didn’t even look. “Catra?”

When Adora looked over, she saw Catra looking towards the entrance. Slowly, the teddy bear dropped from her hand and onto the ground, getting dirty as Catra’s eyes went wide. “Oh shit,” she whispered, before running away from Adora towards the entrance.

“Catra? Catra?!” Adora called out as Catra ran. She squinted to see a person standing at the entrance.

It was Shadow Weaver. Catra was running directly towards her.

“Fuck,” Adora cursed under her breath and sprinted after Catra as the girl pleaded with her mother. Even from a distance, Shadow Weaver looked enraged with her daughter, her hands tightening into fists as Catra yelled at her.

Adora suddenly bumped into someone, and saw it was Double Trouble with the rest of the Pride Club, popcorn in their hands. “Darling, there you are! Hey, you okay?” Double Trouble asked, but soon, they noticed Catra with Shadow Weaver as well. “Oh no.”

Adora ran towards Catra, but as soon as she arrived, she saw Shadow Weaver suddenly grip Catra by the wrist and start to drag her away. Catra was struggling against Shadow Weaver’s tight grip, and Adora could feel her teeth grind hard as she ran towards Shadow Weaver.

All of a sudden, she suddenly shoved Shadow Weaver, causing her to stumble and lose her grip of Catra. “Adora, no!” Catra pleaded as Shadow Weaver kept her balance.

“Leave her alone!” Adora screamed at Shadow Weaver. “Don’t you see that all you’re doing is causing her pain?! She was perfectly happy until she saw you!” Adora pointed to Shadow Weaver.

“Adora, please, I can handle this by myself. I don’t want you getting involved, please!” Catra begged, and when Adora looked over, she saw tears were streaming down Catra’s cheeks. Her breaths were barely coming out as her throat tightened, and Adora felt horrified upon seeing Catra like this. She was so happy just a few minutes ago.

“I can’t let her take you, I can’t!” Adora grabbed Catra’s hand.

“UNHAND MY DAUGHTER THIS INSTANT!” Shadow Weaver suddenly boomed upon seeing Adora’s hand over Catra’s. It was less than a second before Catra took her hand away from Adora’s, immediately obeying Shadow Weaver’s command. “You… you have taken my daughter from me for weeks! Do you have any idea of the seriousness behind what you’ve done?! I could have you charged for kidnapping or worse!”

“Mom, stop! Leave them alone!” Catra said. “Just… I’m here. You’ve got what you came for. Please, just leave them alone and I’ll come with you.”

“Catra, no!” Adora immediately objected. “I can’t lose you. Please, I can’t…”

“Adora, just… stop,” Catra sighed, burying her face into her hands as she sobbed. “We were fucking stupid to think this would ever work, okay? It was nice, but… we know we can’t have this,” Catra looked to Adora, and Adora felt like her heart had been torn apart.

“But… but I love you!” Adora whispered as she stepped close to Catra, trying not to let Shadow Weaver hear.

“I love you too. Please know that I will ALWAYS love you,” Catra whispered back. “But… I can never have what I want. It’s just something I have to accept. I… I’m sorry, Adora. But we should’ve seen this coming…”

Adora felt her eyes well with tears as she shook her head. “I can’t, I can’t lose you, I just… Catra, please… I don’t want her to hurt you again… I want you to smile… I love your smile… Please… We were so happy…”

Catra looked down to the floor and wiped her tears with her arm. “I…” Catra looked to Adora, knowing this may be the final chance she ever gets to speak to her. Knowing this may be the last time she ever sees Adora or the Pride Club. The thoughts made her heart strain, but there was nothing she could do. She was used to this pain.

Catra spoke her final words. “I love you, Adora.”

And with that, Catra walked towards Shadow Weaver and away from the Pride Club. Away from Adora.

Adora felt completely paralyzed. She felt utterly useless as she watched Catra walk away, not knowing if she’ll ever see her again. She wanted to run and take her, but Catra had resigned herself to this fate. Taking her again would just make things worse. There was still one more semester of school left, but Adora didn’t know if Catra would be there. She had no idea of their future.

Adora felt Double Trouble’s hand on her back, and she turned to see tears streaming down their eyes. “Adora… I can’t begin to understand how you feel… but we promise you, we’re not going to abandon you. And we’re not going to abandon Catra. No matter what, we’re going to make sure you two see each other again. You both deserve the chance to truly love each other.”

Double Trouble sniffled, and more tears fell down their cheeks. “But for now… you’re allowed to cry, Adora.”

Adora felt Double Trouble’s arms wrap around her, followed by the rest of the Pride Club. Tears welled in her eyes and her throat felt like it was being squeezed tight. Her heart had been shattered, stomped on and broken by Shadow Weaver. Her breath felt icy cold, and Adora could only do one thing.

As she was separated from Catra for the indefinite future, Adora wept.


	10. Timeless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: DISCUSSION OF EMOTIONAL/PSCYHOLOGICAL ABUSE

Time no longer felt like it really existed over those next few weeks.

At first, it was like a limb had been ripped off from Adora’s body. She woke alone in the apartment and could feel a piece of her very soul missing. Sometimes she accidentally made dinner for two, expecting Catra to emerge from the bathroom any second.

Even with all the plans Glimmer had made over the holidays, Adora didn’t feel like going to any of them. She hadn’t seen a single person since the festival so many weeks ago. Every day and every night felt the same.

The anxiety about the next semester of school had become a numb feeling to her. More than likely, Shadow Weaver had pulled Catra from the academy, never to be seen again. After Adora had given everything to Catra, all of her love and all that she had, Shadow Weaver had taken it all away.

Adora had never felt this much hurt.

Her wallpaper was still Catra next to her snow castle. Even though it stung every time she looked at it, she couldn’t bring herself to change it. It would be like admitting she’s really gone.

She hadn’t heard from Catra since that day. Not a single text or a single interaction with social media, which told Adora she had been stripped of any form of communication with the outside world. Stuck in that house for all those weeks. That made her heart hurt more than anything. The thought of Catra suffering with nowhere to reach out to.

Near the end of the holidays, Adora had eventually gotten used to waking up alone again. Those two weeks where she slept every night alongside Catra really made her appreciated how comfortable it was to cuddle up to someone. She still struggles to sleep without her.

It was near midday when Adora woke up. Her sleep schedule had lost all form of sense over the holidays, and she could’ve woken up at any time from early morning to late afternoon. It didn’t really matter to her. She never had much of a plan for these days, except for two things.

Whenever she could drag herself out of bed, Adora dressed herself and made her way to the café that Catra worked at. She visited there every single day, hoping Catra would be behind the counter, ready to take her order. Maybe she’d go on break and they could talk about life and forget about worries.

But today, on the last day before the final part of school started up, it was no different. Catra wasn’t behind the counter, and she was nowhere to be found. Adora had gotten used to it, anyway. She usually ordered a small hot chocolate and left right after.

The hot chocolate reminded her of her first night with Catra. She had made both of them this drink, and Catra seemed to appreciate someone making her a hot drink for once. It was such a warm night between the two of them, but it also reminded Adora that wherever Catra was, she would never have a chance at that kind of happiness.

Despite her mood, the weather remained beautiful over Spring. The sky and ocean shared diverse shades of blue and the city sprawled endlessly to boardwalks and theme parks. Adora avoided the place where the festival happened. It only ever brought around bad memories.

Instead, Adora headed to the gym immediately after the café and spent an hour there. While it usually consisted of her normal workout, she was also there to wait for Catra. She constantly glanced at those double doors, expecting Catra to come in and ask for a turn on the bags.

It reminded Adora of her first conversation with Catra as she watched her kick the bag and make explosions with her leg. Adora had been staring so often, she was worried Catra would be freaked out. She wished for times where her worries were as little as that.

She had to worry whether Catra had even felt an ounce of joy in weeks now.

But again, like it had been over the entirety of the holidays, Adora’s workout went uninterrupted. She threw her last jab at the punching bag, glanced at the double doors, and accepted that no one was going to walk through them.

She always tempted herself with the possibility of sneaking into Shadow Weaver’s house to see Catra. But there were far, far too many risks if she got caught. It would simply make every single thing worse.

Over the course of the holidays, the thing Adora was most thankful for was Catra’s last words. She still loved her, despite everything. It made Adora think that if what Double Trouble said was true, that if she ever saw Catra again, then Catra would still love her.

She loved Catra as well. Nothing was ever going to change that.

Adora hadn’t taken a bus or a train all throughout the holidays. No matter how long it took, she always walked. She had convinced herself that maybe, just maybe, she could randomly bump into Catra on the street. It was such a tiny possibility that it seemed ridiculous, but Adora found that she needed to cling to all the hope she could find.

She was dangling over a deep, dark void. She had to cling to the hope that she’d be with Catra again, because if she let go, all that awaited her was a spiral. The spiral endlessly swirled into the nothingness of misery and sorrow, and Adora would never escape.

Even if the wind blew hard and everyone screamed at her to let go, Adora always clung to the faith of seeing Catra again. No matter what, she would find a way to be with the one she loves. But in the meantime, she was stuck with nothing but hurt.

Adora went home after doing her two things for the day. It was an endless cycle of hope that was always shattered before her. Her heart had been stomped on so much that the bruises had developed bruises.

Adora ordered noodles for dinner on her last night before school. The same noodles she shared with Catra that they both indulged themselves in. It reminded her of the start of Catra’s stay. The night she first made love. The heat she shared with Catra as they finally expressed their feelings.

They held such raw emotion for each other, and Shadow Weaver had grinded it with sandpaper and poured salt into a raw cut. Adora took a shower while she waited for her delivery, but the shower served no purpose other than to simply remind Adora what warmth felt like.

She often sat in the shower, letting the water hit her bare back as she bunches her knees up to her chest. It was a time to reflect on the times she shared with Catra, even if she knew that reminiscing for too long would simply be agonizing.

Adora avoided looking in the bathroom mirror when she stepped out of the shower. She hated looking herself in the eyes. She hated seeing her own droplets, so similar to Catra’s. The droplets had smashed into each other and broken apart. The race would never be won.

Her food arrived after she was changed into her pyjamas. It was steaming hot and looked as good as always. She stared at the noodles, having not eaten them since that night with Catra. Adora never really felt hungry, but she knew she needed to eat to keep herself in shape.

She didn’t want to know whether she had lost weight or not. Her appetite had been completely stripped away, but she forced whatever food she could get to go down. She did the same with these noodles, slurping them.

Just like Catra did.

Adora continued to have those noodles, vegetables and broth. It was filling. It was wholesome. However, as she was eating, she noticed a few droplets hit the table beneath her. Adora wondered if there was a leak above her, but really, she knew exactly where those droplets came from.

Droplets of tears that poured from Adora’s eyes as she ate. She didn’t sob, but she sniffled a lot as she ate, feeling numb to this agonizing sadness that it barely affected her now. She felt pathetic. She wasn’t the one locked in a house with an abuser so what gave her the right to cry?

Adora hated herself in these moments. Feeling sorry for herself when Catra was going through so much worse. It truly made her feel horrible. But it only served to make her cry more. The self hatred, anxiety about school, loss of Catra, always culminated into these droplets of emotion.

Adora rested her head on the kitchen bench after she finished. She felt a vibration from her phone and checked to see that it was simply a notification for low battery. However, glancing at her phone meant glancing at the wallpaper of Catra. She looked so proud and happy in that photo.

Adora stared at the picture for a few seconds, before shutting her phone down and sighing, burying her face into her arms as she rested her head on the bench. Tomorrow was the first day of semester three, and if she didn’t see Catra tomorrow at school, it likely meant Shadow Weaver had pulled her away and she would never see her again.

A raw bind severed would leave a long strand of timeless misery.

* * *

Adora stepped off the bus into her final part of her schooling life, but it didn’t feel like there was much to celebrate.

The first thing she noticed when entering the school was posters plastered everywhere, all advertising the upcoming prom. Something Adora had only really been to in the past because Bow and Glimmer often dragged her along. She never did much at proms except hang out by the fruit punch bowl.

She had wondered about asking Catra to the prom. Of course, that was even if she would still be at the school. Adora had been looking all over for her the second she stepped off the bus, but if she didn’t walk through those homeroom doors by the time Castaspella started the morning greetings, Adora knew there was likely no chance.

Her heart felt like it weighed ten times its size. She wanted to throw up and pass out at the same time, but she had to hide it as she stepped towards the main hall, walking slowly as to delay whatever would happen next.

People surrounded Adora, excited to see each other again and talking about holidays. It made Adora realize that her last Spring break had ultimately been wasted on the same two things every day for weeks. It would depress her if she wasn’t already so low.

Adora realized she wasn’t even walking towards her homeroom in the first place. She was walking towards Catra’s locker. She didn’t even think about, it just felt like a natural thing to do. She almost wanted to see what it was like.

She dreaded seeing it, however. The locker would be a sign if Catra was still there or not. It would be the truth. Adora didn’t want to know the truth, but at the same time, hiding would never solve anything.

So, Adora pushed pass the crowd, and approached Catra’s locker. She could swear she was going to vomit at any second, but she swallowed it all back as she looked.

It was open, and yet, there was still many notebooks and textbooks still inside. Like it had been completely untouched, and yet, someone had unlocked it. Adora wasn’t quite sure what to make out of it, until she suddenly felt someone grab her hand.

“Follow me,” a voice spoke as it dragged her through the heavy crowd of students. Adora could only see the arm, and not who it was attached to, and she almost wanted to rip away from it. It was dragging her away from the truth about Catra.

But Adora didn’t resist. She wanted to, her mind was screaming at her to run away, but her heart told her to hold on for a few seconds. The hand was guiding her to the bathroom, and the door suddenly opened, ripping her away from the crowd of people and into the empty room with one other person.

“Okay, now who are…” Adora looked up to see who had dragged her away from Catra’s locker. Who had lead her through the crowd of students.

It was Catra.

“Good… I don’t think anyone will see us here,” Catra sighed, before looking Adora in the eye and softly smiling. “Hey Adora.”

Adora had no idea how to react. It had been weeks since she’d seen her. No contact, no sign of her wellbeing, and now she was standing right here before her. Adora reached out and slowly stroked Catra’s cheek, checking if she was even real. When she felt the warmth of Catra’s skin, Adora shuddered. “Can… Can I kiss you…?” Adora whispered.

Catra didn’t answer before leaning in and laying her lips onto Adora’s. Adora put both hands on Catra’s cheek and held her tight as they shared their first kiss in weeks, Adora feeling the bitterness of tears leak from her eyes and stream down her cheeks.

It was a waterfall of raw emotion that was shared between the two of them. They touched each other, feeling each other’s skin and hair for the first time in weeks as they kissed. Regaining lost time. It was the deepest kiss they had ever shared, and they don’t know how long it went on for, but they had to break for air at some point.

“Adora… I’m so sorry…” Catra whispered after breaking the kiss. Adora shook her head.

“Sorry for what?! I’m… I’m just so happy you’re still here,” Adora spoke, still panting from the kiss and the rush of seeing Catra.

“I just let Shadow Weaver take me from you… I let her do whatever she wanted because I let her intimidate me… I should’ve done more, I…” Catra felt tears well up on her eyes, but Adora immediately reached out and wiped them away with a thumb.

“You’ve done nothing wrong, Catra. It’s not your fault. I never once blamed you,” Adora spoke. “But… how are you still here? Did you run away?”

“Shadow Weaver… what she calls mercy was letting me stay here, under the condition that I never, ever speak to you or anyone from the Pride Club ever again. It was the best offer I was going to get… she thinks you’re the reason I’m such a failure,” Catra sighed. “But… I don’t care anymore. I’m not going to let her control us. I’m not going to let her ruin our love. I just… need a plan to get away for good.”

“I’ll help you. No matter what, me and the rest of the Pride Club are always here for you, Catra. Don’t you ever forget that,” Adora put her hands on Catra’s cheeks, speaking quickly.

“Oh, Adora… I love you,” Catra smiled, moving in for another passionate kiss that they couldn’t get enough of.

“I love you too,” Adora whispered, returning the kiss as the bell started to ring for the first class of the day.

“Shit…” Catra quickly separated. “Look, once we leave this room, we… we can’t talk, Adora. I’m so sorry, but… it’s just for safety…” Catra looked down at her feet as she apologized, but Adora simply kissed her forehead.

“It’s okay. We’ll make it through this,” Adora smiled as the two girls separated from each other’s arms. “Oh, and Catra?”

Catra looked up. “Hm?”

“Do you…” Adora chuckled, her face going red. “Do you want to go to the prom with me?”

Catra looked at Adora, and both girls’ face cracked into a wide smile, before they broke down into bouts of laughter over the question. How even through all of this, they could still be a pair of absolute dorks. Catra took a breath, and with tears of laughter in her eyes, she nodded. “Yeah. Of course I do. I’d love to be your date.”

Adora nodded, and the two girls shared one last look, before Catra left the bathroom. Adora waited a few minutes before exiting herself, rushing to homeroom that she was already late for. But she didn’t care how many stares she got or how much Bow reminded her that this wasn’t the first time she was late to homeroom.

Catra was still here. And that meant there was still a fighting chance.

* * *

Adora was throwing her kicks at this heavy bag harder than usual.

She had worked up a sweat over the last hour that she didn’t even realize it was nearing eight o’clock at night. She panted as the bag swung before her and wondered what had gotten into her so suddenly to throw kicks like that.

Seeing Catra today was like a major burst of fire within her very soul. She hadn’t felt this motivated to do anything in weeks, and she seemed to have blown out everything that was built up today in this workout.

Adora sat at the bench, still panting. She had to suck in deep breaths, putting her hands behind her head to prevent the stitch that stabbed at her ribs. She was only now feeling the effects of the exhaustion she had just endured on herself.

She kept thinking about Catra. There was still a chance for their love to be recognised. A chance to run from Shadow Weaver, once and for all.

Adora kept thinking about her future. The one they could achieve if they worked together to rip Catra away from Shadow Weaver’s grasp. A future of light and hope, where she could be with Catra and not have to worry about losing her.

That drive towards a better future is what kept Adora going most of the time. Now that she had hope, all she had to do was grasp and pull it. Take Catra’s hand and bring her home.

Adora wiped her sweat with a towel and stood up, grabbing her gym bag and zipping it closed as she went to sign herself out. It was late, but it was a hot night. The crickets were the only sound that accompanied her on her way home.

For the first time in weeks, Adora felt blood coursing through her body and giving her life. She worried if she was becoming too dependant on Catra’s well-being. But at the same time, isn’t it natural to worry about the people you love?

Adora suddenly felt a presence ahead of her as she walked. She looked up to see one person standing before her. This intimidating figure that made Adora feel like she was going to die.

Shadow Weaver blocked Adora’s path.

Adora stood still and simply let Shadow Weaver approach her. She didn’t break eye contact with her, and she tried to control her shaking fists as a mix of rage and fear filled her body and made her chest crawl with anxiety.

“I’m sure you noticed Catra at your school today. A mercy on my part,” Shadow Weaver spoke. Adora simply glared up at her, not responding. “… That’s fine. I don’t really care about anything you’ve got to say. I just want you to understand a few things.”

Shadow Weaver leaned forward, towering over Adora. “What you have done to Catra… is unforgivable. You have taken my daughter and made her into a mockery. Everything I had built within her, you and that club of yours has destroyed. I have worked so hard to make her perfect. You wasted it.”

Adora had never felt this much of an urge to punch someone. She knew that fighting Shadow Weaver would only result in everything being made worse, but it was a struggle to not speak back or throw her fist. Adora simply glared, digging her fingernails into her palms. “I allowed Catra to stay at that academy of yours since she seemed so insistent. On one condition.”

Shadow Weaver narrowed her eyes. “I do not want to see her speak to you or that club of hers,” she spoke. “Every word out of your snake tongue only drives her further to misery and failure. She will remain independent, and strive towards the future I’ve worked so hard to create for her. Do not take my words lightly. For if I ever see you or that club influencing her or speaking to her… I will rip her away from you. Take her back to that old academy. I will make it my life goal that you never see her again. I am not someone you want to underestimate, Adora. Do you understand me?”

Adora was grinding her teeth so hard she felt like they were going to shatter. She was digging her nails so deep into her palm that felt like she was going to draw blood. She opened her mouth, but realized whatever words that came out would not benefit anyone. She closed her mouth, and simply walked pass Shadow Weaver, not responding.

“I’m going to take that as a yes. For your sake. I hope you will reflect on how much potential you have wasted within Catra,” Shadow Weaver called out, and Adora stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to Shadow Weaver, but she bit her own lip hard.

Adora had never felt this amount of rage in her entire life.

She kept her lip bitten and walked away fast, knowing that sticking around would only make things worse. She quickly paced along the streets, stars covering her vision as she looked down at the floor.

When she arrived at the apartment building, she climbed the stairs faster than she’d ever climbed them before. She didn’t want to stand in the elevator. She needed to walk, to get the blood flowing in hopes of evening her rage to a level where it would simmer.

She approached her apartment on the fifth floor and unlocked the door, opening it and slamming it behind herself. She had time to sit still as she looked at the textbooks on her desk, the takeaway containers on her kitchen, and the pillows stacked on her bed.

It took around ten seconds to destroy them all in a complete wave of rage. Adora grunted as she threw textbooks at the wall and smashed pillows against the bed. She felt like a child having a tantrum, but she didn’t care. She needed some way to simply release all of this pent-up anger.

She was surrounded by even more mess when she finally stopped. Books on the floor, pillow feathers scattered across the room and smashed containers throw against walls. Adora put her hands to her ears, and breathed in.

She let out a scream.

It was a scream that wasn’t just anger. It was depression, anxiety, loneliness, sadness. Every single emotion built from the last few weeks exploding into a single scream unlike anything she had even heard before. If she was caught with Catra, everything was over. Catra was gone forever.

The scream melted into loud, ugly sobs. She felt tears stream heavily down her cheeks as she sniffled and let out loud cries. Adora wanted to shrink into nothingness.

One of the few things left not destroyed in the apartment was the giant, purple teddy bear in the corner, next to the rainbow flag. Fuzzle Wuzzle, her child. Adora slowly crawled over to it and, like a baby, she wrapped her arms around the teddy bear, burying her face into the cushion chest and continuing to sob.

It was like a piece of Catra was right there with her. She swore she could feel her hand stroking her hair, whispering about how everything was going to be alright. But what made Adora feel worse was that her suffering was nothing compared to Catra’s. Catra was completely cut from the outside world and with only Shadow Weaver to talk to.

Catra was living in hell and Adora could do nothing to help.

Adora heard her phone vibrate from her gym bag, and she crawled over to it, still letting out some sniffles as she opened the phone.

 **DTpride55:** Hey there, doll. I noticed Catra was at school today. That’s good, right?

Adora looked at her phone, and a few tears fell onto the screen. She sniffled, wiping the droplets off the phone before responding.

 **Adorablyscary33:** Can I call you, DT?

 **DTpride55:** Of course, darling.

Adora hit the call button and slowly brought the phone to her ears. “Hi there, Adora,” Double Trouble spoke upon picking up. “How are you?”

Adora accidentally let out a sob, despite trying to hold everything back. “Oh, doll… Let it out, it’s okay… I’m right here with you,” Double Trouble spoke in their most soothing voice as Adora’s bottom lip wobbled. She grit her teeth, before breaking down into an even bigger mess of sobs. She hadn’t said a single thing.

“I know, darling, I know… I can’t even begin to imagine the hurt you’re going through…” Double Trouble soothed Adora as she choked out the cracks of her soul. Her sobs were louder and more desperate, but she managed to get out a few words.

“What I’m going through… is nothing compared to Catra… I… don’t deserve to cry… I’m so selfish…” Adora whimpered, before melting down into even more pathetic tears. “I’m sorry, DT… I’m sorry for wasting your time… I’m sorry…”

“Adora, please don’t apologize. I will always have time for you,” Double Trouble responded. “You’ve worked so hard to be there for Catra that you barely even focus on yourself. You have every right to cry. Just because your hurt may not be as severe doesn’t mean it’s any less valid. These tears are natural. You’re allowed to cry.”

Adora burst into a few more sobs upon hearing those words. “She’s hurting Catra… Shadow Weaver is going to rip us apart… It’s not fair, DT… It’s not fucking fair… I just want Catra to be happy… I want to be there for her and I’m so useless…” Adora spoke through a tightened throat.

“We’re not going to let her take Catra. I promise you. You’re not alone through this, Adora. We are going to make sure you two have a chance for each other. Your love deserves to blossom,” Double Trouble spoke. “Okay? Did you get that?”

“Yes…” Adora replied.

“Repeat what I said,” Double Trouble responded.

“You’re… we’re… not going to let Catra be taken away,” Adora swallowed, wiping her leaking eyes. “Our love deserves to blossom… and I’m not alone…”

“Does that make you feel a little bit better, doll?” Double Trouble asked, and Adora sniffled.

“I think so… I’m sorry I’m such a mess, DT,” Adora apologized.

“You should see me after that lesbian movie I watched last night. I cry at anything gay,” Double Trouble replied, and Adora actually managed to laughed through her tears. “Be as much of a mess as you want, Adora. I’m going to be right here for you, and so will everyone else. We’re going to help you and Catra, okay?”

Adora nodded, wiping her nose. “Okay. DT… Thank you. In a consensual friendship way, I love you.”

“I love you too, darling. Do you need me to stick around?” Double Trouble asked, and Adora shook her head.

“I think I’ll be alright. Just needed a shoulder to cry on,” Adora replied.

“I’m always here for you. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Double Trouble said.

“Okay… see you, DT,” Adora responded, and with that, she hung up. She stared down at her phone and wiped the last of her tears from her eyes. Her heart didn’t feel as heavy anymore. She finally stood up and walked over to Fuzzle Wuzzle, carrying the teddy into bed with her and holding it close, like she used to do with Catra.

She dreamed of the future that night. In it, she was always with Catra.

* * *

When the final bell rung for the next day, Adora shared a small glance with Catra.

Adora stepped out of the classroom and instead of walking towards the bus, she walked down to the tracks. She hadn’t ran on them since the race so many months ago. Barely anyone trained on them anymore, so it was mostly secluded.

Hopefully, if Catra got the message, Adora would be seeing her soon. In the meantime, Adora left her bag by the fence and hopped onto the track, stretching her legs out. She hadn’t ran a lap in a while so she was eager to test things out and shake off the cobwebs.

She started to jog around the track, feeling the warm sun blast against her skin as she jogged. The world was basked in a red hue as Adora jogged two consecutive laps, building her sweat up immensely. On the second lap, when she rounded a corner, she saw a familiar figure approach the track as all the buses drove away.

She crossed the finish land to the applause of one person. Catra. “I see you haven’t lost your touch,” Catra smirked as Adora panted.

“You okay talking here?” Adora asked as she went over to the fence, grabbing a water bottle and chugging it.

“It’ll be alright,” Catra responded as she leaned a head on Adora’s shoulder. The connection feeling like a spark of electricity.

“I ran into Shadow Weaver last night,” Adora spoke. “She… told me that if she ever caught us together, she’d… send you back to that old academy somehow. The one you were miserable at.”

“She said the same thing to me as well. The only good thing about that academy was Scorpia,” Catra sighed. “I’m sorry she’s tormenting you. She… really doesn’t like you. She hates our love.”

“Why?” Adora asked. She was always nervous to ask, ever since she first met Catra. But she needed to understand. “Why is she… like that? Why does she treat you that way?”

“… I think we’re close enough that you deserve to know why I was expelled,” Catra started. “Shadow Weaver adopted me when I was… very young. I don’t even know what my own parents look like. All I’ve ever remembered was her.”

Adora held Catra’s hand as she spoke. “She… she wanted to raise me to be great. You know, like what any parent would want for their child. They’d want them to reach their full potential. But… I was satisfied with who I was. I’ve never gotten the best grades and I didn’t really put maximum effort into everything I did, but… I was happy with who I was. However… she wasn’t happy.”

Catra sighed. “In her eyes, she was working so hard for a daughter who didn’t give a shit. So, she sent me to that academy. One of the most prestigious academies ever, pumping out students with top grades. It was a competition to be the most successful person you could be. But… no one was happy. No one except Scorpia, and both her and I were humiliated for being the ones to always pass the tests just barely. But we were the only ones who were smiling.”

Catra looked towards the track. “Shadow Weaver was building on the pressure… And it was breaking me. She locked me in my room for days when I wasn’t good enough. She told me every single day how useless I am. Every morning, I woke up and I knew she’d hurt me in some way. Combine that with the pressure from the academy to do better. My bad scores were reflecting a poor image on them. It was all just piling and piling…”

Catra grit her teeth. “And… all it took was one snide remark. One kid who just… made a passing comment about how my parents abandoned me because of how much of a failure I am. Normally I’d ignore it, but… fuck… I just saw red, Adora. I don’t even know what I did, but when I finally felt like I had control over my body, I just saw… blood on my hand, and bruises on his face… It was a miracle that the family didn’t press charges.”

Catra put her fingers against her forehead. “I know, I know I was stupid for fighting him. I know I should’ve let it go. But fuck… everything just hurt, Adora. I just exploded and lost control… When they expelled me, Shadow Weaver just… barely spoke a word. But over the next few weeks, I noticed that my food was slowly dwindling. I realized she was… starving me. Taking food away. I had to beg for her to feed me anything, and that’s when she told me that she was moving me to another academy.”

Catra looked to Adora. “I was alone for so long after I was expelled. I didn’t even have Scorpia. All that time to think… it just got stuck in my brain that, for some reason, Shadow Weaver was right. I thought that I was a failure. I mean, I had no friends. No one who loved me. I wasn’t happy, and she made me believe that it was all my fault. I believed for so long that my misery was because of me. But… then I met you.”

They squeezed their hands together. “Adora, you showed me that… I still deserved to be loved. You and the Pride Club accepted me for who I was and showed me that the world was good. That my misery was because of her, and that it wasn’t my fault. I… still freeze up around her. I’ve spent years with her… but I’m slowly starting to learn that I’m not her tool. I have my family right here. And one day… I’m not going to let her control me. Because I’m not a perfect girl. I’m… Catra. And that’s okay.”

Adora stared into Catra’s eyes, and saw the droplets racing to the bottom, collecting friends along the way. The two girls were able to smile at each other as Adora moved in and kissed Catra’s forehead. “You… you’ve suffered, Catra. Under no fault of your own. And I am so, so sorry you’ve had to go through that. I can’t change the past, as much as I wish I could.”

“… I don’t think I’d want you to,” Catra said. “Yes, I hated every second of the suffering she’s put me through… but I’ve survived. The fact that I’m still breathing means I am a survivor. It’s made me into who I am. And while I would prefer to have never gone through it… I think I’ve truly discovered myself because of it. And it led me towards the love of my life. Shadow Weaver has done nothing but bad for me… but if I can’t change the past, then I can sure as hell grow from it. And I want to be proud of myself one day.”

Adora rested a hand on Catra’s cheek, and in that moment, all they could do was share a kiss. The sun shining on them as they embraced, and they smiled as they loved each other. “I’m proud of you, Catra,” Adora whispered. “I will always be proud of you. And we are going to give you a better future. Plus… we’ve got a prom to attend together. She can’t stop that.”

Catra’s smile slowly faded in that moment when Adora mentioned the prom. “She’s… going to be at the prom, actually. It’s another one of her ‘merciful decisions’. I’m allowed to go, as long as I don’t speak to you or the club while I’m there, like usual.”

Adora felt her heart drop, and she hung her head as she grit her teeth. “I’m sorry…” Adora shook her head.

“… But I don’t care.”

Adora looked up as Catra spoke. Catra had a smile on her face of all things as she looked towards the sunset. “I don’t care what Shadow Weaver says. I’m going to that prom with you, hand in hand. I’m not backing down, and I’m not going to regret a single second I spent with you, Adora. No matter what, we’re going to dance together at that prom.”

Catra looked to Adora, and grinned.

“Besides. Who am I to reject a prom date offer from such an amazing girl like you?”


	11. Prom

On that Friday, the prom was to happen during the night. Adora wasn’t sure whether to be excited or scared.

Adora sat in her last class and watched the clock tick away. In approximately five hours from now, she’d be walking down the red carpet in a dress towards a fateful night. Her and Catra were to dance, and they had no idea if it was to be their last night together or not.

All they knew is that they wanted to be with each other. That was all. Whatever consequences they faced would come later. It scared them both. But it was better than a lifetime of hiding.

As the imagery of walking in a dress struck Adora’s mind, she realized she didn’t even have an outfit that fitted in the first place. So much had been going on in her mind that the thought of buying a dress amongst all this simply flown by.

However, she had free time after all this to go down to the mall and buy one. She knew she had to look good for her date.

As the clock ticked over the hour and the bell rung, Adora was the first to emerge from her seat and grab her bag, exiting the classroom and heading towards the study area. She had one last chance to talk to Catra. One last check in. Maybe a last second denial of tonight’s plan. Adora’s mind was often cluttered with the things that could all go wrong.

It really wasn’t doing her any favors.

Adora went to a small, empty study room and placed her bag by the front door. This was one of the few rooms that could be locked from the inside by a student without a key, so it made for a perfect place to hide temporarily. Adora looked around the mostly white room and sighed, trying to calm her nerves.

It was always a few minutes until Catra showed up, but those few minutes left Adora with time to reflect. This time, her thoughts were entirely dedicated to the prom. By the time the clock ticked over to the next day tonight, she may have lost Catra forever, or she may have had her future secured.

Tonight was a night of pure uncertainty. All Adora knew was that she was going to dance with Catra for the first time. She just didn’t know if it’d be the last.

The door was suddenly opened and closed in the span of a second as Catra stepped in, locking the door behind her as Adora walked over to her. “Hey Adora,” Catra smirked, speaking in that usual teasing tone.

“Hey yourself,” Adora returned with a smile, leaning in and sharing a quick kiss with Catra like she usually did. “So… how’re you feeling?”

“Like I’m going to throw up, pass out, have a panic attack, explode and die. Maybe at the same time,” Catra returned honestly. “Shadow Weaver has been telling me all week that she’s going to be at the prom. Trying to strip away my motivation for going. No matter what, we can’t really hide from her.”

“Does that worry you?” Adora asked, and Catra scoffed.

“I’d be lying if I said no. But my mind is set. I’m not going to kiss her feet anymore. Either I defy her for good… or our last night together will be one I always remember,” Catra shrugged, a smile on her face. But Adora could see it. The faintest wobble of her lips, and her eyes beginning to sting red.

“... Catra…” Adora choked upon seeing Catra’s face on the verge of tears, and she felt her throat tighten. “I… I’m scared. I’m really scared. I don’t want to lose you again.”

Catra’s smile slowly faded, and she let a tear fall as she reached out her arms and wrapped Adora in a tight hug. “I don’t want to lose you too… But I don’t want to spend my life hiding our love. If we can’t love proudly, then… It just won’t feel the same,” Catra spoke. “But Adora, you know I’m not forcing this, right? Just say the word and we’ll cut this all off. We don’t have to go tonight if you feel scared. I will never hold it against you.”

“No…” Adora hugged Catra even tighter. “I want to go. I want to dance with you. I’m just scared of whatever is going to happen. I’m sorry I’m so weak, but I’m not backing down,” Adora shook her head. “My love for you is far greater than my fear of her.”

Catra held Adora tight for a few seconds, before slowly, she separated. “Um… Hey, can I ask you something?” Catra asked.

“Yeah. I’m here for you,” Adora replied.

“I… told you about my fight that got me expelled a few days ago. How I got so angry that I just… lashed out,” Catra explained. “I… did some thinking and that probably made me sound like some psychopath. I… I hope I didn’t scare you, but I understand if you didn’t like hearing that. All I can promise is that’s not me. I will never, ever, ever hurt you on purpose, Adora. Maybe I’ll make stupid mistakes sometimes, but… nothing like that. I understand if you don’t believe me, but… that was one time. And I intend for it to be the only time.”

Adora slowly nodded. “I believe you. You’ve never shown signs of being someone like that, so… I’ve always assumed it was a one time thing. I trust you, Catra,” Adora nodded, and Catra let out a small sight of relief.

“Thank you,” Catra replied. “I’m not going to submit to Shadow Weaver tonight. If she drags me away, she’ll have to do it while I kick and scream. I’m not letting you go easily, Adora. I swear.”

“I love you,” Adora whispered, putting her hands on Catra’s cheek. “I love you. I love you.”

She didn’t know if she’d ever get to say it again, so she said it as much as she could. They shared another kiss. Full of fire and passion as they closed their eyes and embraced everything that would happen tonight. Whether they stay together, or whether they’re separated for good.

They kissed. They told each other everything they could. Now what came next was fate.

* * *

As Adora stood by the front of the school and watched the buses drive away, she spotted just the person she looking for sitting by the basketball courts, waiting for her.

“Hey, DT,” Adora greeted them as she walked up. Double Trouble blew a bubble with the gum in their mouth as they smiled, standing up and pocketing their phone.

“I got your text, doll. No dress when the prom is in just a few hours? Tsk tsk, I won’t allow such a disgrace on your dignity, trust me. When you’ve got a date like Catra, you have to look like the stars, my darling,” Double Trouble explained. “I’ve got all the time in the world for you, gorgeous. Want to come to the mall with me and we’ll find the perfect dress for you?”

“That’s exactly what I needed,” Adora smiled as she followed them to the nearby bus stop. By public transport, it would be about a ten minute tour to the mall, and the next bus arrived rather quickly. Adora and Double Trouble stepped onto the bus and found two empty seats together as they were taken to the mall. “Thanks for doing this, DT. Tonight is… well, I feel like my chest is about to explode.”

“I understand completely. I’m so nervous for you two! You’re such an amazing pair and I will fight to the bone for you two to stay together. I swear on that,” Double Trouble responded. “I’ve been really proud of you this year, Adora. I mean, I’m always proud, but this year, you’ve just been smiling so much more. You joined the Pride Club, found parts of your identity, found love and you’re seeking such a wonderful future. You’re such an amazing person, doll.”

“DT, please… you’re going to make me blush,” Adora chuckled, mostly joking but her face was admittedly going red. “I should be thanking you. The club you run really brought me and Catra a lot closer together and really helped me in figuring myself out. I’ve usually heard stories of queer clubs not being an option for some people, and that’s understandable… but for me, I don’t think I would’ve had the amazing year I’ve had without it. It’s all thanks to you. Once we graduate this year, I guarantee the influence you’ve left won’t be forgotten. I see a lot more people talk about student mental health now thanks to you.”

It was Double Trouble’s turn to blush as they smiled brightly. “Adora, after graduation, I swear we have to meet up as much as possible. I am seriously going to cry so much if we have to be apart for so long, because you really bring a bright light into my life. I know I try to keep the peace a lot and I always seem stable, but even I have my darkness. That club is what keeps me afloat sometimes. I’m able to wake up every morning and feel good about myself because of people like you. So thank you. Whatever future we may hold, I want to hold it together.”

Double Trouble leaned their head on Adora’s shoulder and they huddled close together as the bus neared the mall. Being friends for years, Adora and Double Trouble had always been attached, but this year just seemed to strengthen it. They really grew to love each other more and more, and the bond they shared was stronger than steel. It wasn’t on a romantic level, but they didn’t really care. They knew they always had each other to rely on.

The bus pulled up to the mall and the two of them exited. “I know just the place for you, on the top level. I usually go there for my best clothes,” Double Trouble explained, leading Adora into the rather busy mall. People were scattered across the various stores, including the pride store Adora brought her rainbow flag from.

Double Trouble blew another bubble with their gum as they rode the escalator up to the top level with Adora. The store they approached was definitely one Adora could feel threatening her wallet. But she would be able to push through it for now.

“The prom dress I wore last year came from here, and honey, I won best dressed for a reason. Pick out whatever fancies you, and you can ask me for advice if you want, but it is entirely up to you. I am just a spectator to your glamor,” Double Trouble explained as the let Adora explore the wide store of fanciful suits, dresses and everything in between. She had thought about going for a suit, but she was in more of a dress mood for that night.

The one that immediately caught her eye was a red wrap dress that was displayed on the front of the store. She always thought she looked best in red, so she managed to find one set of it and go to a changing room.

The time alone really made her realize how, despite all the anxiety about it, Adora was so excited to simply go to a prom with Catra. Above all else, the fact she was going to dance with the girl she loves tonight made her heart leap in her chest.

She exited the booth to show off the red dress to Double Trouble, who immediately clapped their hands. “Oh, I knew you’d pick that one straight away! Red looks absolutely fabulous on you!” They complimented as Adora smiled.

“Yeah… but I want to try a few more and see if any stick. Don’t want to be too hasty, you know?” Adora said and Double Trouble immediately nodded.

“Don’t worry, I completely get it. Take all the time you need to achieve perfection, darling. I’m not going anywhere,” Double Trouble responded. Adora changed out of the red dress and scanned the store for a few minutes, before picking out a blue empire dress that seemed to float around her legs. She picked that one out and entered the changing room yet again.

When she emerged in that dress, Double Trouble nodded upon seeing it. “Good, good. You look amazing, doll.”

“But… not as good as the last one?” Adora asked, doing a slight spin in the blue dress. Double Trouble put a finger against their chin and tilted their head.

“If you want my opinion, I was a huge fan of that red dress. But what I think you should try on…” They pointed towards one dress in the corner of the store. “Is that.”

Adora walked over to the recommended dress and picked it out. She wondered how it would suit her, but if Double Trouble recommended it, then she trusted them. It was like nothing she had ever seen before, and she thought she’d look like some bizarre witch in it.

Adora changed for the third time. She wanted something that would strike Catra and make her stick out. On top of everything, it was her last ever prom too. She needed to go out with style.

She took the time to get changed into this dress. It was delicate, with a lot of thought put into it. Crafted with the smoothest of materials, and it fitted Adora’s body perfectly. When she was able to put it on, she looked herself in the mirror.

The dress wrapped around Adora’s left shoulder and went down like a gown to cover her feet. It was black but covered in some form of glitter to make it sparkle under the light. It made her stick out, but at the same time, she blended in with the darkness. She exited to show it off to Double Trouble.

“Darling…” Double Trouble put their hands over their mouth as they smiled. “You are perfection.”

Adora spun around in her long, black, sparkling dress and couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “I don’t look ridiculous?” She asked.

“Oh hell no. Catra will have to pick her jaw up from the ground when she sees you, gorgeous,” Double Trouble complimented, running a hand over Adora’s shoulder to feel the material. “It’s up to you, but this is marvellous. Simply marvellous.”

“And I think I agree with you,” Adora chuckled as she smiled brightly. “This is the one.”

Adora went back into the changing room, slowly taking off the dress and folding it up. She changed back into her normal clothing and left the room to bring the black dress to the counter. The price was definitely a wound to deal with, but she would be able to make ends meet.

Adora had a dress ready. All was set. Now all that came was the wait.

Adora and Double Trouble left the dress shop and went down to the ground level. “Do you want to grab some drinks before we leave? I’m probably going to be sticking around the mall for a few hours until the prom starts myself,” Double Trouble said.

“Sure, I’ve got time. I’ll need to head back home for some touch up afterwards,” Adora explained as they went to the food court together. Double Trouble went to get a few drinks as Adora found a small table for them to sit at.

A vibration of her phone emerged from her pocket, and Adora picked it up to see a text from Glimmer.

**SparkleSparklesss:** How are you going? Got everything ready for tonight? Bow and I are jamming out to a few tunes while we get ready.

Adora noticed that, outside the mall, the world was slowly shifting from orange to darkness as the sun left the sky. A couple more hours until it would all go down, and when Adora went to type back a reply, she found that her hands were shaking.

**Adorablyscary33:** I’m nervous as all hell. I just picked out my dress with DT and now all I have to do is a few touch ups and try not to throw up.

**SparkleSparklesss:** Bow and I are always here for you, Adora. You and Catra are going to be prom queens tonight.

“I got you an iced chocolate. I would’ve gotten coffee but I figured your nerves were already shot up as is,” Double Trouble spoke as they returned with two drinks for them.

“Thanks so much,” Adora nodded as she took her cold drink, typing out a similar thanks to Glimmer before putting her phone face down on the table, leaning back and sighing as she took a sip through the straw of the iced chocolate.

“Stressing?” Double Trouble asked.

“Majorly. It’s just a few hours, but… I don’t know how it’s all going to turn out. I’m really scared, DT,” Adora looked at them, her eyebrows narrowing as she spoke with worry. Double Trouble leaned forward, sharing a look of empathy.

“The most I can offer is my undying support and my promise that I will fight for your right to love, darling. You and Catra both have such special places in my heart, and I don’t want either of you to feel broken by the end of tonight. But either way, I promise you I will always be here for you,” Double Trouble spoke.

“I know… I know. Thank you, really. I guess it’s just nerves screwing with me. I just want those two hours to pass now so we can get this over with,” Adora sighed. “I just… want someone to truthfully tell me that everything is going to be okay. I just want to love Catra. I don’t know why that’s so hard to ask.”

“Some people hate love, and those people are sad. Really sad,” Double Trouble sighed. “I wish the world could just be a place where love could blossom, and we wouldn’t have to fear being ripped apart from each other. Shadow Weaver is a sad, sad person. She projects herself onto Catra because she thinks of herself as a failure. Therefore, if Catra is by her definition ‘successful’, then Shadow Weaver would be successful too in her eyes. At least, that’s how I believe her worldview is based off so many other’s I see. But no matter what, no matter how much we are hurt, they can never stop the fact that love is love, Adora. Your love for Catra is a valid, healthy piece of love that has the right to blossom, grow and become something truly beautiful. And I will fight to the end for your right to love. I promise you that.”

“I… Words can’t express how thankful I am to you, DT. Truly. You have been such a big support to me and Catra… We will always be thankful to you, no matter what,” Adora smiled. She reached over the table and wrapped Double Trouble tightly in a hug, which they returned.

“You’re an absolutely amazing person, Adora. I wish you all the luck I can give tonight,” Double Trouble smiled. “I’ll see you soon, doll.”

With that, Adora left the mall and took the late bus back to near her home. The ride was quiet as the bus drove through the dark city, with neon lights and streetlamps to guide her path. Restaurants blazing with customers, bars surrounded by friends, and hotels sprawling with people. It was night of bonding, love and acceptance. Adora could only wish she had some of it. She needed all she could get for tonight.

She entered her apartment and took a deep breath. The prom was in a couple of hours, so she had minimal time for showering, touch ups, the dress and final preparations. As she showered her body and prepared her mind, Adora repeated one thought to herself as much as she could.

That no matter what would happen, and no matter what Shadow Weaver did, and no matter if this was their last night together or not, Adora would smile with Catra when they danced together, and they’d show the world that love can overcome any fear.

* * *

Adora looked at the academy and wondered how she’d be feeling an hour from now.

She stood alone at the entrance, hesitant to take that next step. There was no telling of the consequences. The safe option was to always turn back. She was all dressed and prepared, but her heart was still taking its time to catch up.

Her foot stepped back without a thought. Tonight, every single thing could go wrong. Catra could be ripped away permanently and she’d never see her again. Their future would be apart, and they’d have to grow without each other. Their love dying.

But at the same time, every single thing could go right. The future they wanted could spring forth into reality, the fantasy of love blooming into beauty beyond comprehension could become reality. There was absolutely no way of telling, and Adora hated not knowing the future.

“Bit nervous?” Adora heard, and she turned around to see her friends. Glimmer had spoken as she stood among the Pride Club. Bow, Double Trouble, Perfuma and Huntara. Each of them standing behind Adora and ready to push her towards whatever the future may hold.

“Yeah. I’m scared out of my mind,” Adora spoke with a weak chuckle.

“We’re all here for you, Adora. We won’t let you down,” Bow spoke, putting his hand on Adora’s shoulder to console her. She looked around to see everyone nodding, and she let out a deep breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth.

“I trust you all with everything in my heart. Catra and I will always be thankful, no matter what,” Adora smiled. “In the mean time, I think I’m meant to have a temporary ‘date’ before Catra gets here.”

“May I volunteer?” Double Trouble asked, stepping forward to reveal themselves wearing a gorgeous black suit with a white button up shirt and a rainbow tie. Adora’s eyes widened upon seeing them and how amazing they looked.

“You know, I was actually just about to ask you, DT… Sorry to the rest of you all,” Adora apologized to the Pride Club, but they shoot their heads.

“I’ve got my date here!” Perfuma giggled, cuddling up to Huntara’s arm. Huntara had to hide her blush. Bow and Glimmer linked arms, going on their fifth year in a row to the prom. They’ve won the best couple twice, in fact.

“That dress looks simply dazzling under the moonlight, doll,” Double Trouble complimented as Adora wrapped both her arms around their right elbow.

“You didn’t tell me you had the best outfit planned for tonight, DT. I mean, look at you! If you don’t win best dressed it’ll be a crime,” Adora returned as Double Trouble laughed, their face going red at the kindness.

“You’re too much, darling. If this is going to be my last prom, I figured I’d go all in. I’ve worn dresses for the last couple of years so I wanted to tie it off with something different and fabulous. I just hope it did the job,” Double Trouble straightened their tie as Adora walked with them.

“Well, if you ask me, I say you sure as hell did,” Adora replied as they approached the red carpet outside of the gym where the prom took place. Before they could enter, the couples had to have their photos taken, though Adora would always have had hers taken with Bow and Glimmer in previous years.

The gym was blazing with lights and music which Adora could hear from outside. She used to dislike how loud it was, but she was sort of into it this year. The loud music was able to drown out her beating heart and internal anxiety as she and Double Trouble approached the front entrance, standing in front of the camera.

Adora leaned her head on their shoulder as the photo was taken, and she was excited to see it printed. “Do you think it’d be funny if we won best couple this year?” Double Trouble asked as they looked at the printed photo.

“I know Catra will find it hilarious,” Adora smirked as they entered the gigantic gym. It was filled with students in their best outfits, and the music was so loud sometimes that Adora had to shout over it. Bow and Glimmer, as usual, had found their way to the middle of the dance floor, a place that Adora mostly used to avoid.

Though this time, it was the first place she went to with Double Trouble. Quite frankly, Adora felt like she was going to have a heart attack, so anything that would subdue that would help before Catra arrived.

“I never took you for the dancing type!” Double Trouble yelled over the music as Adora led them into the middle of the crowd.

“I’m not! Just trying not to have a panic attack!” Adora admitted as she danced with Double Trouble, their hands linked at whatever moves they could do. Even though Adora was not very good at it, she still put in maximum effort to calm the nerves.

“You doing okay, Adora?” She heard a voice from behind and turned to see Perfuma standing with Huntara. The Pride Club had found their way together on the dance floor, which eased Adora’s mind a tad. She felt her chest loosen a bit, and the butterflies inside died down slightly.

“Just want this to be over sooner than later, really. I’m freaking out about the wait. The dance with Catra tonight is… going to change a lot of things. I hope it’s for the better,” Adora admitted. Perfuma reached out and squeezed Adora’s shoulder.

“We’re right next to you. If you can, try to have fun for now. If you need to go somewhere else, that’s totally fine,” Perfuma comforted, trying to put on a brave smile. Adora really found herself appreciating all the support from the members of the Pride Club. She’d have ran away a long time ago without them.

However, before she could reply, Adora spotted someone walking through the door. Even from a distance, she instantly recognized them.

Catra had arrived.

She was wearing a dark, magenta suit jacket, with a lighter red button-up shirt and suit pants that matched her jacket. Her dark red bowtie was undone and simply hung loose around her shoulders as she entered by herself. Shadow Weaver wasn’t far behind, but Catra immediately walked away as soon as her mother entered.

She looked beautiful. Adora kept staring at her, almost wishing she had gone shopping with her to find out what her fashion choices are like. Plus, she just wanted to be around Catra more and more. The desire to be close to her was ruined by Shadow Weaver’s looming eye.

Despite remaining in the corner, Shadow Weaver seemed to control everything. She kept glancing at Catra and the Pride Club members, like some leech on their joy. Adora and Catra didn’t dare to look at each other just yet, but they both felt each other’s presence.

“I’m freaking out,” Adora admitted to Double Trouble, and they led her away from the dance floor to somewhere quiet next to the fruit punch bowl. Normally, this is where’d Adora be in the first place. It was away from everyone, and a chance to escape all the noise.

“I saw Catra, don’t worry,” Double Trouble said.

“I’m seriously going to throw up. I… I don’t know if I can do this. Shadow Weaver is right there,” Adora started to hyperventilate, her hands shaking as her throat squeezed almost shut. “Fuck. DT, I… I don’t want to lose her.”

“Adora, hey, hey,” Double Trouble stood in front of her, and Adora grabbed their hands, holding them tight. “I’m right here. I know it’s stressful. Remember what Catra said? She won’t hold it against you if you walk away. I know this is a freaky situation. Shadow Weaver is creeping me out too. But we’re all right here, okay?”

“I know, I know… I just…” Adora felt the slug in her throat slide its way through her stomach as she put a hand over her mouth. “I seriously feel sick, but I think I’ll be alright. I just… need this to be over soon. I need to be with her.”

“I’m sure she wants to be with you, too,” Double Trouble spoke as they squeezed Adora’s hand tight. “You sure you don’t want to go see her right now?”

“Not yet… We planned for this. We know exactly when we’re going to meet up on that dance floor. I think it’ll be just about twenty minutes from now,” Adora explained. “She insisted it was during that exact time.”

“I understand. Just let me know if you need anything, okay? I promise you, we’ll always be here,” Double Trouble soothed Adora, and they shared a tight hug. Despite the feeling of sickness in her stomach, Adora just felt pure comfort at Double Trouble’s words. Knowing they’d be here whether or not the night turned out okay was enough for Adora to not fall into complete despair.

Adora stood by the punch bowl for the next few minutes. She kept checking the time. She wanted to glance at Catra more, but she knew she had to save it. Her and Catra had planned for an exact time to meet up. They knew when they’d take the risk. Adora didn’t want to ruin the timing.

She drank the fruit punch and took a deep breath. If anything, she kept glancing at Shadow Weaver. She truly did blend in with the corner, and yet, Adora felt like she had her breathing down her neck. Her mere presence was enough to induce raw anxiety into her blood.

Adora had to look at her feet and wait. Her chest was slowly becoming tighter and tighter, and her mind kept telling her to run. But she stood her ground for Catra. She stood her ground for love. She stood her ground for Catra’s happiness, as well as her own.

Because at the end of the night, they’d share a magical moment, no matter the consequences.

Eventually, the time came.

The slow dancing song had begun, and Adora felt her heart skip a few beats as she put her glass away. This was the song she and Catra had planned for. She took in deep breaths to prevent her hyperventilating, and looked up.

Catra walked towards the dance floor, and the edges of the stage were blocked off by the Pride Club, forming somewhat of a shield around the dance floor as various couples linked together for the slow dance. Catra stood alone at the center of the dance floor, and for the first time that night, she made eye contact with Adora.

Adora slowly stepped towards Catra and met her on the stage surrounded by dancing couples. They stood before each other, and ignored Shadow Weaver, though they knew her gazing eye was on them. “You freaking out too?” Catra asked.

“I have been all week,” Adora replied as she held out a hand. Catra slowly took it and wrapped an arm around Adora’s waist as they began to dance together. They moved slowly, side to side as Adora looked down at Catra.

“What’s she doing?” Catra asked as Adora glanced over her shoulder to look at Shadow Weaver.

“Storming towards us. Though, she’ll have to get through a hell of a crowd,” Adora chuckled, and Catra joined in with the laughter, both of them trying to battle their nerves. “You look good in a suit.”

“And you look… so beautiful in that dress,” Catra replied as they both smiled. The song was building up and their hearts were racing, but as Adora looked into the droplets in Catra’s eyes, nothing else mattered.

“Are you implying that I’m not always beautiful?” Adora teased and Catra rolled her eyes, smirking.

“You know what I mean, smartass,” Catra snickered. She checked for Shadow Weaver. “She’s getting closer, you know. We don’t have much longer left together.”

“I’m not going to let you go easily. We’re making a last stand here,” Adora held Catra closer. Catra looked at the floor, her smile slowly fading.

“I’m scared, Adora,” Catra admitted. Adora put a finger under her chin and tilted Catra’s head up.

“I am too,” Adora said. They both looked at each other with the fear in their eyes. Their hands were shaking, but they were never going to stop dancing together. “I love you, Catra.”

“I love you too. I always will,” Catra whispered.

The song reached its peak, the chorus kicked in, and within that very moment, before everyone’s eyes, before Shadow Weaver’s eyes, Adora and Catra joined together in their most passionate kiss yet.

They felt the world disappear around them as they closed their eyes. This time last year, Catra would’ve been scared to do anything like this in front of everyone, most of all Shadow Weaver. Adora could’ve never imagined herself kissing anyone in the first place.

But now, they had drawn all the attention in the room as their tender kiss was put on display. Their show of love was a sight to behold for everyone as the Pride Club clapped for them. Catra eventually had to slowly separate as Shadow Weaver approached, and the two girls shared a warm, blushing smile. They both knew it may be the last smile they ever share.

“I knew it was a mistake to let you come here,” Shadow Weaver growled as she approached the two of them. At first, Catra loosened her grip on Adora. She was ready for Shadow Weaver to take her as she snapped a hand around Catra’s wrist, yanking her. “You simply can’t learn to control yourself, can you? You utter disgrace of a child.”

But when Shadow Weaver went to pull Catra away, her free hand grabbed Adora’s hand tightly. Adora was pulled along with Catra, and no matter how hard Shadow Weaver tugged at Catra, she held Adora’s hand tighter. “Get your hands off my daughter,” Shadow Weaver growled at Adora.

“She’s not the one holding me,” Catra spoke. “I’m holding her. I’m holding her hand because I want to dance with her. I’m holding her hand because I want to be with her,” Catra spoke louder and louder as she looked Shadow Weaver in the eye. “I’m holding her hand because I love her, and there’s not a fucking thing you can do to stop us!”

Her words echoed throughout the entire gym as Catra yelled at Shadow Weaver. She pulled her hand away from Shadow Weaver’s and tightened her grip on Adora’s, intertwining her fingers with her girlfriend’s.

“For all of my life, you’ve made me miserable,” Catra accused Shadow Weaver. “You’ve never been happy with me. You’ve messed with my mind, and you led me to believe that my misery was my own fault. But I am not your tool! Not anymore! My misery is all your fault, and no one will convince me otherwise, least of all you! My friends… the girl I love… they’ve all shown me what true family is. It sure as hell isn’t you. My family makes me feel safe. My family makes me feel at home. My family makes me smile each and every day, no matter how much you try to ruin that. I know I’m not perfect, Shadow Weaver. But I never aimed to be perfect. I aimed to be happy. My Pride Club makes me happy! The girl I love makes me happy! And you… you are a leech on my life. And I am done with you. So go ahead, Shadow Weaver. Drag me away. Lock me in my room. But just know…” Catra stepped towards Shadow Weaver and growled. “I will never be your daughter. You spit in the face of what it means to be a parent.”

Shadow Weaver and Catra stared daggers into each other’s eyes, and in a moment of rage, Shadow Weaver’s hand shot towards Catra to grab her by the hair. But before she could, Double Trouble’s body crashed against Shadow Weaver. “Whoops! Sorry about that, I’m a tad clumsy!” Double Trouble giggled, trying to play off drunk as they knocked Shadow Weaver off balance.

“Adora, come on!” Catra grabbed Adora’s hand, and she didn’t hesitate. The two of them sprinted away from the gym as the Pride Club reformed their barrier to slow down Shadow Weaver as Catra and Adora sprinted out of the gym and towards the tracks.

They were surrounded by the stars and the moon as they ran their hearts out, hand in hand. Adora tripped often thanks to the dress, but Catra kept her up as they sprinted to the middle of the tracks, panting. They stopped, stumbling on the grass and nearly falling over.

“Catra…” Adora spoke, sucking in air as she bent over and put her hands on her knees. They were far away from the gym now as they took the moment to catch their breath. “You… you stood up to her…”

“I know… I’m still deciding whether I should be proud of that or regretting it as the stupidest moment of my life,” Catra admitted with a chuckle. Adora joined in with the laughter, and soon enough, both girls started to crack up as they released all of the anxiety that had been building up. Their laughter formed tears in their eyes as they held onto each other’s arms, joining their foreheads together.

“Hey Adora?” Catra asked through soft chuckles as they eventually calmed down.

“What’s up, you big goofball?” Adora replied.

“I think I’ve made my decision about moving in.”

Before they could continue, Catra looked over Adora’s shoulder and immediately took her hand. Adora turned and saw that Shadow Weaver had finally caught up to them. She stood wordless as Catra held tight to Adora’s hand.

“Don’t bother asking for forgiveness, though I doubt you’ll ever grow a conscience,” Catra seethed. “I’m not staying with you anymore. I’ve found my home with Adora. All those nights I’ve been running away? I was saving up money. Working jobs to afford some place to stay, and now that I’m old enough, you can’t stop me. I’m moving in with Adora. You…”

“Oh, I don’t care anymore,” Shadow Weaver interrupted Catra. “I truly… truly do not care anymore. I’ve worked for so long to make you the best you could be, Catra… I’m exhausted. We are simply incompatible, that much is clear. You will never listen to me. And I… am not cut out to be your mother. You were right about one thing in that gym. You’re not my daughter. And frankly, I don’t want to be your mother.”

Catra’s eyes went wide upon hearing this. “So… you’re, what, disowning me?” She asked.

“If that’s what you want to call it. You’ve found a home. You no longer need me in your life. You can call this goodbye if you wish to share any last words,” Shadow Weaver spoke. Catra opened her mouth, but she soon found herself closing it. She was at a loss. What could she even say to her? It was such a sudden change in her behavior. Shadow Weaver had seemed to hit a breaking point, and Catra began to wonder if she was faking it.

“… At the very least, I can thank you for giving me a roof to live under as I grew up. You didn’t leave me to die,” Catra spoke, avoiding eye contact with Shadow Weaver. “But… that is all I want to say to you that can be considered kind. I could speak a thousand words on how you’ve given me nightmares and stripped me of my childhood…” Catra took in a breath and looked Shadow Weaver in the eyes for the last time.

“But frankly? I don’t want to see you ever again.”

They shared a last look. Adora kept her hand gripped with Catra’s, and after a few seconds, Shadow Weaver turned and walked away. Catra kept waiting for her to turn around at any second. She kept waiting for Shadow Weaver to explode. But it never came. She truly was leaving behind Catra for good. Severing the ties they had.

Catra turned to face Adora, and without sharing a word, she placed a hand on Adora’s cheek, looked into her eyes for permission, and shared a kiss with her. It was soft. It was tender. It was loving. It was liberating.

“Now what?” Adora asked as they separated, still holding onto each other. Their hearts were still racing. Both of them felt like they were in a dream. Catra had to wipe her eyes clean of any tears that were forming as it finally hit her that she was no longer under Shadow Weaver’s control.

“Now what…?” Catra whispered to herself, looking to the floor and pondering the question. The shackles that had dug into her wrists and ankles were finally broken, and for the first time in her life, she felt like she could move without consequence. She didn’t have to consider running away or facing Shadow Weaver’s wrath. She was independent. She was alive. Catra was no longer tied down to burden. She looked into Adora’s eyes. The love of her life. The love that was free to grow. She only had one response for Adora.

“We live free. And we should probably start looking for a bigger apartment.”


	12. Epilogue

Adora had not anticipated just how hot it would be on Graduation Day.

She stood among her classmates, including Bow, Glimmer, Double Trouble and of course, her girlfriend Catra. The principle stood up on stage making a speech that mostly went in one ear and out the other for Adora. Her mind was still completely destroyed by final exams and she didn’t want to process much else.

Especially given the fact that about five minutes form now, she’d be making a speech to the entire school.

She had her notes in her hand and ready, but nothing could really help to calm the nerves that came with making a public speech. She wasn’t freaking out over it, but there was always that thought in the back of her mind about how wrong this could all go.

She had to check many times if she was sweating or not. The current blazing hot weather was not helping her situation at all, especially since graduation was taking place on a field near the tracks. She also had to wear a gown which just seemed to drive the temperature even higher.

“Nervous?” She heard Catra whisper to her.

“A little bit,” Adora replied. “I’m just hoping I don’t pass out from heat exhaustion here.”

“Wasn’t summer your favorite season?” Catra smirked and Adora elbowed her slightly in the ribs. Catra simply chuckled.

“It’s fun when you’re like… at the beach or chilling with a cold drink. Not standing amongst hundreds of sweating bodies waiting to give a public speech that you have no idea if you wrote right,” Adora seethed. She sighed and turned to Catra. “Hold my hand?”

Catra didn’t hesitate, placing her hand within Adora’s and interlocking their fingers. It felt nice to not be alone. “You’re going to kill it, darling,” Double Trouble whispered to Adora upon overhearing their conversation. “I’m pretty sure Perfuma and Huntara are somewhere nearby so the queers are here for you.”

“Thanks, DT,” Adora replied to them. She took a deep breath in and checked her watch. Three more minutes.

“So… what’s the plan for after graduation? After we finish moving in and all,” Catra whispered.

“You’re asking that now?” Adora replied.

“I’m trying to take your minds off things. I’m being a good girlfriend,” Catra smiled and Adora couldn’t refuse her. She always looked cute with that smile.

“I’m still deciding on university, but every day, it seems more and more likely. I might want to do a Bachelor of Education or something along those lines. History was my best subject this year and all,” Adora shrugged. “What about you?”

“To be honest, I have not put any thought into the future,” Catra admitted, “but as long as I’m with you, I feel like it’ll be a good one.”

“You’re such a suck up,” Adora teased and Catra snickered. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Catra replied. “I know I say this a lot but… thank you. Really. This is the first time in my entire life I’ve been able to just think about my future with no barriers. No one to tie me down. I guess it’s all a little daunting since I’m not used to so much freedom. But it’s all thanks to you that I’m able to live like this, without fearing what would happen tomorrow.”

“Catra… you barely give yourself enough credit,” Adora replied, “you stood up to Shadow Weaver. You made that plan for the prom. I barely did anything. It was all on you and I’m so proud of you for that.”

“You all gave me that boost. Without the Pride Club and without you, I would’ve just accepted that my life would always be miserable. You showed me what it meant to feel joy,” Catra kissed Adora on the cheek. “I’ll always love you for that.”

Suddenly, Adora’s reality was cut when she heard the principle call her name up to the stage. She had no idea time had passed so quickly and she rushed to the stage, hearing Catra clap for her along with everyone else as she climbed the steps and stood before the microphone. Adora cleared her throat.

Hundreds of eyes were on her, but the entire time, she kept looking at Catra’s. The different colored eyes that she had been so lost in for nearly the last year.

“Hi everyone!” Adora gave an awkward small wave. “My name is Adora, but… you already knew that,” Adora chuckled nervously, and she saw Catra give a thumbs up. “I have been called up here today to talk about my year and my experience at my club.”

Adora took a breath. “This year was like no other. I have led a pretty good life for the last many years, if I do say so myself. I’ve always had my friends, Bow and Glimmer. DT, or who you’d know as Double Trouble, has always been the person to back me up with compliments and support no matter what. For that, I will always be grateful to the three of them. They’ve been my pillar for years and I know they’ll continue to be for the years to come.”

Adora slowly felt herself ease into things. “But this year… I met a few new people in my life. Over the holidays, this time last year, I moved into a new studio apartment all by myself and I gained a lot of independence. It was daunting at first. I was suddenly grabbing my own future but… I didn’t even know what I wanted to do with that future once I had hold of it. I barely knew anything about myself in the first place. I think I was comfortable leaving myself a mystery.”

She looked at Catra again. “But… then a girl barged into my life. Her name was Catra. From the day I met her, she’s had such a major impact on me. We’ve gone from awkward conversations and stares to…. Well…” Adora blushed a bit. “She’s my girlfriend now.”

Double Trouble gave a loud clap for them and Adora blushed even more. “Thank you, DT…” Adora mumbled.

“Woo! Lesbians!” Double Trouble cheered.

“Anyway… Catra, whether deliberate or not, led me down a totally new path in life. I had never had a crush before, and… now I was crushing on this new girl. It was totally confusing and a total mess and… we all know how weird these years are. But that’s when I decided to join the Pride Club, ran by the great Double Trouble. They, along with other students like Perfuma and Huntara, were able to guide me towards understanding.”

Adora stood up straight. “I’ve slowly learnt over this year what love truly is. I fell in love with the girl of my dreams, I found out I actually loved girls in the first place, and I’m slowly coming to terms with what I want my future to be. It’s all thanks to the people that surround me. I’ve managed to find a group I can trust with every inch of my being… and although we’ve had difficulties… I strive to believe that, if true love is there, it can overcome basically anything. I truly love Catra, Bow, Glimmer, DT, Perfuma and Huntara. Because of that, I’m confident in believing that I can always rely on them. And they can always rely on me.”

Adora glanced at her notes. “But I suppose I’m rambling. I guess what I’m trying to say is… love is a powerful thing. I’m not just talking on a romantic level here. Love can be shared by almost everyone. You don’t have to go around kissing all your friends, but it’s okay to tell them you love them once in a while. Maybe that might be the thing to make their day. I know that when Catra tells me she loves me, it fills my heart with the same butterflies as when we first kissed.”

Adora and Catra shared a warm glance. “This year has taught me the ups and downs of life and love. Its taught me that love can be corrupted… but its also taught me that love can blossom and become something so beautiful it makes your heart flutter and your life brighter. So… my message to everyone is that… well, to quote DT, love is love. Love can be hated. It can be twisted. But true love will never falter. It will always be there for you, whether it’s love from your friends… or just learning to love yourself. And learning to love yourself can be the hardest thing in the world for some people. But the important thing is that someone will always love you, even if you can’t love yourself. Whilst learning to appreciate yourself is a journey only you can take… getting a little help from others is always appreciated. And I had my help within the Pride Club.”

Adora finished up. “You are worthy of love. You are worthy of loving yourself, even if you think otherwise. Life is love, and love is life. And if you’re struggling with loving yourself… I’ll share some of my love with you. Maybe it can be the kickstart you need.”

Adora bowed slightly as she finished her speech, and she received the applause of all the students, especially those in the Pride Club. She walked off stage and towards Catra, and as they looked at each other, they knew there was no hesitation needed as they wrapped their arms around each other and shared a deep and passionate kiss in the middle of that crowd.

Their love blossomed under that sun. No amount of darkness could put it out.

* * *

Adora let out a deep breath as she lowered the heavy box onto the wooden floor.

A day had passed since graduation but that didn’t give Adora time to rest. She had spent the last few hours moving boxes from her studio apartment to a high-rise loft apartment on the top floor. It was about four times the size of her previous place, but it had enough room for both her and Catra, and they were able to scrounge up the money to pay for it and afford it in the long term.

Unfortunately, that meant moving many of Adora’s items up a large flight of stairs. Going from the fifth floor all the way to the twelfth was a steep climb that Adora had to make over and over again with the larger boxes that couldn’t fit in the elevators.

Adora was soaked in sweat, wearing a singlet with her jacket tied around her waist, as well as yoga pants. Almost similar to her gym outfit. She looked around the loft apartment as she moved another box. It was an extremely beautiful place, with a great view of the city from the window and a large bed for her and Catra to share, as well as an upstairs area to put their TV in among other comfortable items.

Catra entered the apartment, carrying another cardboard box. “Hey Adora,” Catra grunted as she dropped the box carefully, wiping her hands together. She was covered in sweat as well. “We probably should’ve thought ahead before picking an apartment on the top floor, huh?”

“I’m sure we’ll learn to appreciate it in future,” Adora smiled, “but right now, I never want to see another flight of stairs in my entire life.”

“Well, have I got good news for you,” Catra scoffed. “We’ve got to move the couch now.”

Adora groaned, but she figured now was better than later as they exited the apartment and took the elevator down to the fifth floor, both of them panting softly as they pushed through the exhaustion of moving multiple boxes. “You know, if there’s one thing I can appreciate in all this…” Catra chuckled. “You look so sexy right now.”

“Covered in sweat and on the verge of passing out is sexy to you?” Adora asked and Catra nodded without hesitation. “I’m not sure if that’s weird or not.”

“What, do I not look good too?” Catra asked as the elevator doors opened.

“Oh, you always look gorgeous. Don’t worry, I won’t kink shame you,” Adora teased as she walked out and Catra shook her head, following her. The studio apartment was nearly empty now, with the floors cleaned and room made for the next person who moved in.

“You think you’re going to miss this place at all?” Catra asked as she got on one side of the couch, squatting down and digging her fingers underneath.

“It’ll always be fond to me because it’s the first place I moved into,” Adora replied as she got on the other side of the couch, putting her hands underneath. “But will I miss it? Probably not. It’s a tad cramped.”

On the count of three, both girls lifted the couch and slowly began to walk it out towards the stairs. “Tell me if you need to take a break at all,” Catra grunted as Adora put the last of her strength into lifting the couch up the stairs.

“You calling me weak?” Adora asked.

“With those arms? Hell no! I’m just looking out for you,” Catra chuckled. Adora laughed slightly.

“Thank you,” Adora grunted back as they got halfway up the stairs.

“Thank you, what…?” Catra asked and Adora sighed.

“Thank you, best girlfriend of all time,” Adora replied as Catra snickered. Despite all the teasing, the two felt incredibly warm around each other. Adora could never stop herself from smiling just by looking at Catra and thinking about their future together.

Even through the difficult process of moving, they were able to keep their spirits high. Ever since the prom, Catra had slowly been able to loosen her shoulders and take deeper breaths. Adora was just happy to see her more and more relaxed, but of course, it was a slow process.

As they finally reached the top of the stairs and finally placed the couch in their apartment, Adora collapsed backwards onto the soft couch and sighed. “Is that everything?” She asked.

“Pretty much,” Catra replied as she put her hands behind her head to prevent the stitch that shot down her side. “Just a few last minute things and then we can start making this place look good over the weekend.”

Adora turned to lie on her back on the couch, and Catra went over and laid on top of Adora, her back against Adora’s chest as Adora wrapped her arms around Catra’s waist from behind. Both of them slowly coming down from the exhaustion of moving as they lay on top of each other in silence.

“… Hey,” Catra spoke up after a few minutes. “Uh… about last night. I’m sorry I kept waking up a bunch…”

“You don’t need to apologize, Catra,” Adora shook her head.

“It was the nightmares again. I just… I close my eyes and I’m back in that house. Locked in that room. I just wish I could stop, but… it’s hard,” Catra spoke sadly, not daring to look Adora in the eyes.

“I never expected you to heal in just a few weeks. That’s just unfair. What you went through… it’s not easy to heal from. I get it. But I am always here for you. Okay? I am always here. I’m never going to leave your side, no matter how many nightmares you get,” Adora whispered gently into Catra’s ear, cuddling her closer.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to burden you… I feel like dead weight,” Catra sighed but Adora simply kissed her shoulder.

“You are the love of my life. Yes, it hurts to see you suffer like that. I wish nothing more than for you to sleep peacefully. But I know what you went through was a lot. I know it’s going to take time to heal. I was always prepared for that. No matter how many nightmares or panic attacks or how much fear you feel… I love you, Catra. And I promise I’ll never leave you alone as long as you want me around,” Adora kissed her neck as she spoke, trying to comfort her girlfriend.

“Thanks, Adora… I just feel shitty, I guess. I don’t know when the nightmares will stop,” Catra sighed.

“One day, I’m sure they will. But until then, I will be whatever pillar of support you need. It’s not a burden on me. I promise,” Adora held her closer and Catra leaned her head back onto Adora’s shoulder, letting out a great sigh of relief.

“I love you,” Catra smiled.

“I love you with all of my heart,” Adora returned. On that couch, their lips met. More than anything, it was a kiss of reassurance. A kiss that told Catra she had a safe place to be now. She was able to come home at the end of the day and simply be with her real family.

The stepping stones towards a brighter future would be hard to reach sometimes. Not everything would be perfect, and at moments, the two of them would feel like sinking. But no matter what, they knew they would always have each other to reach out to. A hand to hold and a shoulder to cry on.

They had their true love. They had each other. Whatever the future had in store for them, they knew they weren’t going to face it completely alone.

“So…” Catra smiled. “Want to order those amazing noodles tonight since neither of us can be stuffed to make dinner?”

Adora laughed. She held the love of her life close and took the time to ponder how much had changed over the last year. How close she had grown with not just Catra, but everyone around her. She took the time to ponder how much she had grown as an individual. The person she was a year ago was confused and lost in the dark, and now, she was holding Catra’s hand and walking towards the light. Towards hope. Towards love. Towards joy.

And so, Adora only had one response for her love.

“Sounds perfect.”

* * *

_The End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really want to thank each and every one of you for the amazing journey that was this story. 
> 
> I set out to write this story knowing I had to reach into dark and personal places. The abuse Catra endured was written from personal experience, and at times, it was difficult to write because it reminded me of a difficult past. But I knew that no matter what, I had all of your support. And that meant the world to me. It's what kept me going sometimes.
> 
> I currently have plans in store for more She-Ra fanfiction but it is still a ways off. For now, I think I need a break! I've been working on this thing every day for over two weeks now, and although I loved each and every second, it has been a tad exhausting...
> 
> I'll be responding to reviews as always. I hope I was able to send a small message with this cute story. And I hope you all have a lovely day. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You all inspire me.


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